Bryce Huff retired from the NFL on Thursday at 27 years old.
The San Francisco 49ers defensive end revealed his decision in a video posted to his Instagram story.
“I’m retiring from football,” Huff said. “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.”
Huff went undrafted out of Memphis and caught on with the New York Jets in 2020. He spent four of his six NFL seasons there before signing a three-year, $51.1 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024. That marked the richest contract for an undrafted free agent non-quarterback in NFL history.
A wrist injury limited him to 12 games and two playoff games with the Eagles. He did not play in the team’s Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
He was traded to the 49ers, reuniting with former Jets head coach Robert Saleh, San Francisco’s defensive coordinator in 2025.
In 81 career games (21 starts), Huff amassed 108 tackles, 24 sacks and four forced fumbles. His best season came in 2023, when he racked up 10 sacks for the Jets while never making a start as part of their D-line rotation.
“Through all of it, I realized something: Football has been my entire life,” Huff said in his video. “I played ever since I was 4 years old, but at 27 years old, I know I’m capable of giving the world more than just football.”
Huff said he is founding a company that builds safety infrastructure for lithium-ion batteries.
According to Pro Football Talk, Huff was owed a $1 million roster bonus from the 49ers on Friday.
