Robert Saleh knows exactly what the New York Jets will be missing since Bryce Huff departed as a free agent for the Philadelphia Eagles. In fact, the Jets coach provided an eye-opening comparison of what the talented edge rusher brings to a team.

“Elite, elite pass rusher. Closes games,” Saleh said Monday at the NFL Annual Meetings in Orlando, via Jamie Stuart.

“People want to say all he does is rush the passer. All Mariano Rivera did was close ninth innings. He’s a pretty darn good pass rusher and he’s going to be great for Philadelphia.”

So, yes, Saleh compared the budding star, who excels in one aspect of the game defensively, to the greatest relief pitcher in MLB history.

It’s a comment that drew some sarcastic replies on social media. But there’s no denying Bryce Huff is an elite pass rusher. The 25-year-old had an NFL career-high 10 sacks last season and a crazy 67 QB pressures in 334 pass-rush snaps. Pro Football Focus graded him 86.8 in pass rushing in 2023 and 88.0 in 2022.

Moreover, Huff racked up these impressive stats despite playing only 42 percent of New York’s defensive snaps last season.

Bryce Huff viewed by many as one-dimensional player with Jets

Therein lies the rub with Huff. The Jets didn’t trust him in running situations and PFF graded him a weak 48.0 in this part of the game last season. The Jets viewed him as a purely situational pass rusher, albeit an elite one.

So, when Huff became a free agent this offseason, two things were in play. Huff wanted to be paid as one of the top pass rushers in the NFL. And he also wanted more playing time.

Up against the salary cap and valuing Huff in a different way, the Jets had a limit on what they would spend on the rising star. And there was little chance the Jets were going to greatly increase his workload.

So, Huff bolted New York to sign a three-year, $51.1 million contract ($34 million guaranteed) with Philadelphia.

“It’s always disappointing when you lose good players,” Saleh said. “You can’t keep them all.”

Of course, the New York Yankees managed to find a way to keep Rivera for all 19 of his MLB seasons. Unlike the Jets, though, they didn’t have a salary cap to worry about.

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Jets look internally, externally to fill void created by Bryce Huff departure

The Jets have used a first-round pick in each of the past two drafts on an edge rusher, so they’re not left completely barren at the position despite Bryce Huff’s departure. In fact, Jermaine Johnson (2022 draft) was a Pro Bowl selection last season, when he broke out with 7.5 sacks, 56 QB pressures and 55 tackles. Solid against the run as well in pass-rushing situations, Johnson played 66 percent of the defensive snaps and earned an overall 83.0 grade, per PFF.

Will McDonald IV (2023 draft) is a freakish athlete, who, Saleh, reiterated again Monday, needs to bulk up to receive more playing time. McDonald managed three sacks and 11 tackles despite playing only 19 percent of the snaps last season.

New York also has veteran John Franklin-Myers, who plays defensive end and on the interior.

And last week, the Jets brought in former NFL No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney for a visit. Reportedly, they are very interested in signing the 31-year-old. However, the Baltimore Ravens remain confident they can re-sign Clowney, who had 9.5 sacks in 2023.