The New York Jets may have gone 7-10 and missed the playoffs this past season, but it certainly was not because of their defense.
The Jets boasted the third-ranked defense in the NFL in 2023 and also racked up 48 sacks, which was good for seventh in the league.
New York’s strong pass rush was led by edge rusher Bryce Huff, who racked up a team-leading 10 sacks to go along with 29 tackles this past year.
The problem is that Huff is set to be a free agent next week, and the Jets may not have the financial wherewithal to retain him.
Garrett Podell of CBS Sports named Huff as the one free agent that Gang Green cannot afford to lose, saying that the Jets “simply cannot let a high-end pass-rusher walk out of their facility.”
Podell notes that Huff ranked second in the NFL in quarterback pressure rate in 2023, with only superstar Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons ahead of him.
New York has just $27.5 million in cap room heading into free agency, and given all of the club’s other needs, it may have a difficult time keeping Huff.
Huff, who played his collegiate football at Memphis, went undrafted but landed with the Jets in 2020.
He played in 14 games during his rookie campaign but made a very limited impact, logging 16 tackles and a couple of sacks. He posted nearly identical numbers in nine contests the following year, finishing with 14 tackles and a pair of sacks.
Huff was once again an essential non-factor in 2022, registering six tackles, 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble in 14 games.
It wasn’t until this past season that the Mobile, Al. native finally broke out, which could give the Jets—and other teams—some pause about giving him a lucrative long-term deal.
Was Huff’s breakout 2023 campaign a fluke? Or is it a sign of things to come?
Whatever the case may be, we will see what the Jets decide to do with Huff in the coming weeks.
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