Less is not more for Eagles' ineffective pass-rusher

Philadelphia’s coaching staff may take a “nothing to see here” approach towards its new $51M edge rusher, but so far, the Bryce Huff signing can be described as “money for nothing.”

Huff joined the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and saw action in 14 games, recording two sacks while playing on 30% of the team’s defensive snaps. His snap count jumped to 51% in 2021, but he still managed only two sacks after appearing in nine games, seven as a starter.

He had no starts from 2022-2023 but impressed with 10 sacks on 42% of snaps, leading Philadelphia to hand him a three-year deal to replace former Eagle Haason Reddick. Now three games into his Philadelphia career, Huff is still a part-time performer, playing 44% of snaps with no sacks, forced fumbles, tackles for loss or quarterback pressures after three games.

So far, Huff has one assisted tackle, which begs the question of whether he’d play better with more repetitions.

Not according to defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who said the following when asked by team reporters to describe his plans for Huff moving forward:

"Much the same as it has been. He’ll be mixed in there along with the rest of the guys. We’ve got five guys dressed and we’re mixing four of them. It’s going to pretty much be the same, I think."

Unfortunately, that’s not what Philly fans want to hear. Not known for their patience or understated approach to their beloved Eagles, the city has been fairly calm about Huff’s lack of production.

At the moment, Philadelphia, Washington and the L.A. Rams are tied for the third-fewest sacks in the league. Fortunately for the Eagles, they will travel to Tampa Bay in Week 4 in a rematch of last year’s NFC wild-card game. Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield has already been sacked 13 times, third-most of any quarterback.

If Huff can’t find a way to bring down Mayfield on Sunday, he could see even fewer reps as the season wears on, which won’t sit well with a fan base trying so hard not to label him a “bust.”