49ers close in on a deal to reunite Robert Saleh with Super Bowl-winning DE

The San Francisco 49ers have moved to fortify their defensive unit over the offseason and look set to bring in someone with a long history with new defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.

During a three-year spell with the New York Jets, Bryce Huff established himself as one of the league’s most effective defensive ends. Last summer Huff signed with the Philadelphia Eagles and he now looks set to move on again.

The Eagles are reportedly close to agreeing a deal to trade Huff to the 49ers. The news was first reported on Friday by NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero.

Huff had a breakthrough season with the Jets while playing under Saleh with the Jets. In 2023 he recorded 29 tackles and 10 sacks, while his 21.8% pressure rate was the best in the entire league according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

All that prompted the Eagles to sign him as a free agent and Huff signed a three-year deal worth $51 million last summer. However a string of injuries hampered his 2024 form and he was listed as inactive for the team’s Super Bowl win earlier this year.

Huff will turn 27 in the upcoming season and he offers a good deal of experience to help fortify the options at the 49ers’ disposal. Ahead of him, five-time Pro Bowl selection Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams, the first round pick of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Speaking to reporters earlier this month, Saleh said that he was excited by the prospect of working with a new-look defensive unit in San Francisco.

“I’m excited to get them out this weekend,” he said. “It’s a really cool group of kids coming in. All of them are going to have an opportunity to compete to get significant playing time this year. It’s exciting to get the injection of youth to go along with a lot of the veterans we have on this football team.”

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