Eagles defensive end Bryce Huff will undergo a procedure on his wrist Thursday, league sources told NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Huff, 26, had played the last couple of weeks with a hard cast on his wrist.
By getting the surgery done now, the hope is that Huff will be able to return healthier at some point later in the 2024 season.
“He’s really done a good job of battling through but this will hopefully help get him some more function in that hand and we’ll see as the season continues,” head coach Nick Sirianni said on Wednesday afternoon. “I just can’t say enough of how he battled through and tried to keep going through it. Hopefully, this helps him.”
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In the last three weeks, Huff has played just 6, 12 and 14 snaps after hurting the wrist during warmups before the Jaguars game. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has said the dip in playing time is a direct result of Huff’s health.
“He's got a big cast on his hand, leaves his thumb totally immobilized,” Fangio said on Nov. 12. “And really, his palm is immobilized. So he's just got four fingers dangling there with no thumb or palm to help him. On the less obvious downs, it just makes sense to put a guy in there that's 100 percent.”
It seems likely Huff will land on Injured Reserve, which will open up a spot on the 53-man roster.
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The Eagles signed Huff to a three-year, $51.1 million deal this offseason. He was their highest-paid free agent addition but things haven’t exactly gone to plan. While Huff has had some good moments, he has just 2 1/2 sacks in 10 games and had been overtaken by Nolan Smith for the starting gig opposite Josh Sweat.
Without Huff, the Eagles will continue to rely on Sweat, Smith and Brandon Graham. There’s also a good chance that third-round pick Jalyx Hunt will see an expanded role. Hunt has played just 42 defensive snaps all season.
With Bryce Huff to miss time, rookie Jalyx Hunt could get a bigger role.
"We obviously drafted Jalyx because we liked his skillset," Sirianni said. "Jalyx has been doing a lot of good things on special teams. We’ll see how those reps get divvied up. This week will tell a lot."
The Eagles’ leaders in sacks from the edge rusher position this season are Sweat with 6 and Smith with 3 1/2. Graham has 2 1/2 sacks and has been playing well at 36 years old.
Huff entered the NFL as an undrafted player out of Memphis in 2020. He spent four seasons with the Jets and carved out a role as a pass rush specialist and even had 10 sacks in 2023 without starting a single game. The Eagles projected Huff as a full-time starter in their defense but it was a big adjustment for Huff in training camp.
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