49ers' Bryce Huff Retires at 27 for Battery Safety Venture

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Bryce Huff announced his retirement from the National Football League on Thursday, ending a six-year career at the age of 27 to pursue a new venture in battery safety technology.

Huff, an undrafted free agent out of the University of Memphis who signed with the New York Jets in 2020, shared the news in a video posted to Instagram. He reflected on his journey through the league, crediting football with shaping his life from childhood. "I started playing football when I was four years old," Huff said. "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."

Over his career, Huff appeared in 81 games, recording 24 sacks, 108 tackles, four forced fumbles and four passes defended. He spent his first four seasons with the Jets, playing in 54 games and starting seven while amassing 17.5 sacks and 65 tackles. After a career-high 10 sacks in 2023, he signed a three-year, $51.1 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2024 offseason, the richest deal ever for an undrafted non-quarterback. That season, Huff contributed to the...