When the San Francisco 49ers acquired Bryce Huff from the Philadelphia Eagles last offseason, it looked like a savvy, low-risk move. Huff, a pass-rushing specialist with upside, was reuniting with Robert Saleh-the coach who once helped maximize his talents during their time together with the New York Jets. But now, with Saleh out and Raheem Morris stepping in as the new defensive coordinator, Huff’s fit in San Francisco suddenly feels a lot less certain.
Let’s start with the scheme shift. Saleh’s defensive DNA is rooted in the 4-3 Under front, which became the Niners’ base look when Kyle Shanahan took over in 2017. While that system has evolved over the years, it still leaned heavily on four-man fronts and allowed edge rushers like Huff to fire off from a three- or four-point stance-his comfort zone.
Morris brings a different approach. One wrinkle that’s expected to become more prominent is the "penny" front-a five-man alignment with a linebacker crowding the line of scrimmage.
The idea is to generate more pressure up front, something the 49ers desperately need after finishing dead last in the league with just 20 sacks last season. Huff accounted for four of those, which says a lot about both his individual effort and the lack of help around him.
On paper, more pressure packages should be good news for a guy like Huff. But here’s where things get tricky.
Huff is a pure edge rusher-he wins with burst and leverage off the line. He’s not built to drop into coverage, and he’s not the kind of hybrid outside linebacker who thrives in a two-point stance.
If Morris wants his edge players to be more versatile, Huff may not check enough boxes.
That’s not just speculation-it’s backed up by how things went in Philadelphia. Despite signing a three-year, $51.1 million deal, Huff never quite found his groove there.
The Eagles tried to expand his role beyond what he does best, and the results were underwhelming. Now, with zero guaranteed money left on his contract for 2026, the 49ers could move on and free up over $5 million in cap space.
That’s a tempting option for a team looking to retool its defense under a new coordinator.
To be clear, Huff isn’t the only player facing an adjustment period. Even All-Pro edge rusher Nick Bosa could be asked to adapt under Morris. But there’s a key difference-Bosa is the kind of elite talent you build around, and Morris will almost certainly tailor parts of his scheme to maximize Bosa’s impact.
With Huff, the situation is murkier. Some believe Morris could find a way to use him more effectively-perhaps as an interior rusher in certain sub-packages.
But that would mean moving him away from the edge, which didn’t work out in Philly. It’s a tough sell, especially when you consider the financial flexibility the team gains by letting him go.
At the end of the day, Huff might be a holdover from the Saleh era who simply doesn’t fit what Morris wants to do. That’s not a knock on his talent-he’s got real pass-rushing chops-but scheme fit matters, especially when roster spots and cap dollars are on the line. Unless Morris has a specific plan to unlock Huff’s potential in this new-look defense, the clock could be ticking on his time in the Bay Area.