Robert Saleh just can’t quit his old team. The former New York Jets head coach, now back in San Francisco leading the 49ers' defense, is collecting former Jets like trading cards, and his latest addition might be the most revealing yet
San Francisco is finalizing a trade to acquire edge rusher Bryce Huff from the Eagles in exchange for a mid-round draft pick, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Huff has already restructured his contract to make the move work.
It’s not just Huff, either. This week alone, Saleh and the 49ers also brought in punter Thomas Morstead and linebacker Chazz Surratt, two more familiar faces from Saleh’s time in Florham Park. Even longtime Jets special teams coordinator Brant Boyer now holds the same title alongside Saleh in San Francisco.
The nostalgia tour is officially underway in San Francisco. Jets West, anyone?
Bryce Huff trade proves Robert Saleh is trying to relive his Jets glory days
Huff’s short-lived tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles was nothing short of a disaster. After signing a three-year, $51.1 million contract in free agency, the former Jets pass rusher managed just 2.5 sacks in 12 games with the Eagles in 2024.
His numbers cratered, and he played even fewer snaps than he did his final season in New York. It quickly became clear that Huff, once one of the NFL’s most efficient edge rushers, didn’t quite fit in Philly.
Now, Huff is heading back to familiar territory, at least in terms of coaching. Saleh coached Huff for three seasons in New York, helping develop the undrafted Memphis product into one of the league’s most disruptive pass rushers.
Huff led the NFL in pressure rate in 2022 and followed that up with a career-high 10 sacks in 2023. His efficiency didn't drop, either, as he finished second behind only Micah Parsons in pressure rate despite taking on more of a three-down role as the season progressed.
That's what makes Huff's disastrous Eagles stint all the more confounding. Perhaps he really was just a product of Saleh's scheme. If that was the case, he could be set for a major bounce-back season in San Francisco.
The move to bring Huff to the Bay is the latest example of Saleh seemingly trying to recreate the magic of his 2023 Jets defense. He's making a concerted effort to bring in guys who already understand his system and earned his trust in New York.
The Robert Saleh reunion tour is starting to feel less like a coincidence and more like a full-blown throwback concert, complete with old hits, familiar faces, and now a headline act in Bryce Huff.