Former Jets pass rusher Bryce Huff retiring at 27 with a new venture in mind

Defensive end Bryce Huff is calling it a career before even reaching the age of 28. 

The 49ers defender, and former Jets standout, made the announcement in a video post on Instagram and said that he knew that he was “capable of giving the world more than just football.”

Huff played just six seasons in the NFL that spanned four years with the Jets, who signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2020 after he played college football at Memphis. 

He battled through injuries this past season after he was brought to San Francisco via trade with the Eagles and appeared in 15 games. 

“I’m retiring from football,” Huff said in his video. “I started playing football when I was four years old. Growing up, I wasn’t the biggest or the strongest, and I didn’t have many friends. All I really had was the game. Football kept me grounded. It gave me something to hold onto.”

“We battled through injuries, fought our way into the playoffs, and gave everything we had,” Huff continued. “Through all of it, I realized something. Football has been my entire life. I’ve played ever since I was four years old, but at 27 years old, I know I’m capable of giving the world more than just football.

“The game taught me perseverance, it taught me discipline, it taught me how to lead and how to find a way forward when things feel impossible. Now it’s time for the next chapter of my life.”

Huff announced he will be starting a company, Neighborstone, to build safety infrastructure that will help with fire risk on lithium ion batteries.

In four years with the Jets, he appeared in 54 games and started seven while recording 17 ½ sacks and 65 tackles during that span, and was credited with 43 quarterback hits. 

Huff Was a restricted free agent during the 2023 before the Jets placed a second-round tender on him to keep him with Gang Green for another season. 

He left the Jets during the 2024 offseason and signed a three-year deal with the Eagles, winning a Super Bowl with Philadelphia, though he did not dress for the 40-22 win over the Chiefs.

He was traded to the 49ers last June for a conditional draft pick. 

Huff played in 81 games during his NFL career and had 124 sacks, 108 tackles and recorded four forced fumbles.