Why the NY Jets must extend Bryce Huff this season

Bryce Huff has quickly made his presence felt for the NY Jets this season. The 25-year-old edge rusher entered the 2023 season as a restricted free agent and is beginning to show why he deserves to sign long-term. It's truly time to start talking about an extension for Huff, who has been playing just about perfectly this season.

Huff first signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He played in 14 games in his rookie season, recording 16 tackles and two sacks.

Why the NY Jets have to extend Bryce Huff

Huff would go on to play pretty well for the Jets in his next two seasons. However, in 2023, it feels like we have seen a brand new side of Huff. Last year, Huff finished with six tackles, 3.5 sacks, and one forced fumble in 14 games.

In the early going of 2023, with just five games under his belt, Huff has already tied his tackle total for last year with six tackles. Huff has also picked up one sack and one run stuff so far. While the numbers are all very telling, something they don't show is the pass rush defense, and to put it simply, you don't let one of your best pass rushers walk.

Micah Parsons is one of the best defenders in the NFL, but it's crazy to think that Huff has the edge on him, Nick Bosa, Maxx Crosby, T.J. Watt, and Aidan Hutchinson in a category, but he definitely does. Huff is recording a pressure every 4.5 snaps, which is the most in the league. The closest to him is Nick Bosa at 8.1.

Huff also currently has 25 pressures, which is the seventh-best in the entire league, despite only having 87 pass-rush snaps played this season. To make matters more clear, Huff also currently leads all defensive players with a pressure rate of 29.9%.

Despite the Jets having Will McDonald, who is supposed to be the successor to Huff, it would not be wise to let Huff walk at this point in his career. The worst thing that can happen for the Jets right now is Huff becoming the next Shaquil Barrett, who the Denver Broncos let walk and is now killing it for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Jets' defense has been a massive asset to the success of the team lately, and it starts with the men up front. Bryce Huff is making a case to not only be one of the best defenders on the Jets but one of the best defenders in the league.

He will get a nice bag regardless, but it is time for the Jets to extend Huff and keep him in a green jersey for a bit longer.