Eagles Defensive End Scheduled For Surgery On Wrist

The Philadelphia Eagles free-agent acquistion should be able to return before the end of the season.

Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Bryce Huff (0) against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA – One of the Eagles’ more pricier offseason free agents, Bryce Huff, will be sidelined for an undetermined amount of time after sources revealed that the defensive end will undergo wrist surgery on Thursday.

Huff, who signed a three-year deal for $51 million as a free agent from the New York Jets, had tried to play through the injury, wearing a cast after injuring it going through a pregame warmup drill against the Jaguars on Nov. 3. The hope is that Huff will be able to return at some point later in the season with more functionality in the hand and wrist.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said last week that it was difficult to use Huff because he had a cast around his humb and wrist with four fingers “dangling.” Huff has made five solo tackles with 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble.

The news comes at a time when Nolan Smith is playing the best football of his young career, so he could see an uptick in snaps.

“Nolan has been doing well,” said Fangio earlier in the week. “Obviously, speed and athleticism are his forte, which is good. We need that. And he's been able to offset being kind of small for an edge position.

“To really work on being physical enough to play the run, play in his blocks, and I think he and (defensive ends/outside linebackers coach Jeremiah Washburn) Wash has done a good job with him to get to where he's competitively good enough to play the run.”

Rookie third-round pick Jalyx Hunt could also see more snaps. He played 25 two weeks again in Dallas but didn’t get any snaps on defense four days later in the win over the Commanders.

There is also the chance that the ageless Brandon Graham could see a rise in snaps. Graham, 36, is already playing 46 percent of the snaps but has been effective. He has made 13 solo tackles with 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble.

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