The San Francisco 49ers made a mid-sized defensive addition on Monday, acquiring defensive end Bryce Huff in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. One day later, the trade became official, with Huff passing his mandatory physical.

Huff's physical was the final requirement for the teams to complete the trade. He passed it on Tuesday to complete the deal, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported.

The teams initially announced the 49ers would send a 2026 mid-round pick to the Eagles for Huff. Further details confirmed that the pick would be a conditional fifth-rounder, with the possibility of becoming a fourth-round selection. The pick's final determination will depend on Huff's 2025 performance.

A former undrafted free agent, Huff broke through with the New York Jets in 2023, recording a team-high 10 sacks. His breakout campaign resulted in a three-year, $51 million deal with the Eagles in the 2024 offseason. However, he failed to meet expectations, notching just 13 total tackles and 2.5 sacks in 12 games.

The trade reunites Huff with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who was the Jets' head coach from 2021 to 2024. If there is one coach in the league who can re-ignite Huff's success, it would be the 46-year-old defensive guru.

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49ers defense needs Bryce Huff to perform in 2025

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, right, confers with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh during the teamís rookie minicamp.
D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

The 49ers will immediately expect Huff to contribute in 2025 despite coming off a down year. The team desperately needed to add pass-rushing help behind Nick Bosa in the offseason, leading them to acquire Huff. While Bosa returns off a nine-sack season in 2024, San Francisco released Leonard Floyd and Maliek Collins, who were second and third on the team in sacks, respectively.

Before initiating the trade with the Eagles, the 49ers also added pass-rushing help by drafting Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins and CJ West. Collins and West will compete with Kevin Givens and Jordan Elliott for interior snaps, while Williams and Huff will likely rotate in at defensive end.