The Philadelphia Eagles are grappling with unwelcome injury news as star defensive end Bryce Huff, who signed a lucrative $51 million contract in the offseason, will undergo wrist surgery.
The announcement, made by head coach Nick Sirianni on November 20, confirms Huff will miss significant time, with his return not expected until late in the regular season.l
Huff’s absence has coincided with his lackluster performance this season. After a standout 2023 campaign with the New York Jets, where he recorded 10 sacks and led the NFL with a 21.8% pressure rate, expectations were high for the 6-foot-3, 255-pound edge rusher. However, through ten games with the Eagles, Huff has only managed 2.5 sacks and four quarterback hits.
The wrist injury, which required him to play in a cast recently, seems to have contributed to his reduced effectiveness and dwindling snap count. Over the past three weeks, he averaged just 11 snaps per game, a sharp decline from the 28 snaps he played during the first seven weeks.
In Huff’s absence, rookie defensive end Jalyx Hunt has stepped up, seeing increased playing time during the Eagles’ current six-game winning streak. Despite the setback, the Eagles, now 8-2 and leading the NFC East, remain optimistic about Huff’s potential postseason impact. With no significant injury history apart from a back issue in 2021, there’s hope that he can return to form and play a pivotal role in Philadelphia’s playoff aspirations.
The Eagles face the Los Angeles Rams in a high-stakes Sunday Night Football clash in Week 12.
