Kyle Shanahan isn’t chasing short-term fireworks. Last year, he learned his lesson that uncontrollable factors like injuries could change your destiny in the matter of a few seconds. This has opened new doors. He’s building an NFL ecosystem, sustainable, self-replenishing, and always dangerous. It’s not just about winning this year’s NFC West—it’s about being in the mix every year, irrespective of injuries, roster shakeups, or salary cap traps.
The Bryce Huff trade is another chess move in that long-view strategy. It’s one of those cold NFL truths – get paid and get replaced. Just a year after signing a 3-year, $51 million deal with the Eagles and even winning the Super Bowl, Huff is already on the outside looking in. The writing hit the wall the second he skipped OTAs. He wasn’t in the plan for 2025. He knew it. So did everyone else.
At the heart of Kyle Shanahan’s plan? Preserve draft capital without sacrificing performance. CBS reporter Jonathan Jones revealed the news first. The 49ers gave up a 2026 fifth-rounder for Huff, with a chance it becomes a fourth once Huff hits certain performance markers. But those are the exact rounds where San Francisco expects to earn compensatory picks thanks to 2024 free agent departures.
The 49ers give up a fifth-round 2026 draft pick to the Eagles for DE Bryce Huff that could turn into a fourth-round pick if he hits certain markers, source confirms. @jjones9 was on it first. Those are the rounds 49ers can expect to land ‘26 compensatory picks.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) June 3, 2025
Draft analyst Lance Zierlein has already predicted three compensatory picks for 2026—two in the fourth round and one in the fifth. The team has already traded away more players than it has signed, so the next few years are shaping up to be quite interesting. A major overhaul seems imminent.
Enter the new defensive coordinator, Robert Saleh, who was already interested in the defensive end. He said a few days back that they wanted to bring him in. But without playing with the future of their rookie players in the coming season. Shanahan and John Lynch don’t just react to problems. They insulate the future while weaponizing the present. Huff isn’t just an edge rusher. With 20 sacks and 78 tackles (45 solo) in 66 games across 5 seasons, he presents the best option for the franchise.
It was a move waiting to happen. Fans were eagerly waiting. But the front office also had to work out the financial side of the deal.
Kyle Shanahan’s front office confirms Eagles’ DE arrival
While the HC Kyle Shanahan was hell bent on signing the player, the GM John Lynch also worked out the financial side of the deal. 27-year-old Bryce Huff was due $17 million this season from the Eagles until he restructured to help force the deal through. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Philly will settle $9.05 million, while the 49ers take on $7.95 million. That’s peanuts in today’s DE market. Especially for a player with 17.5 career sacks and a top-tier pass-rush win rate just a year ago.
Kyle Shanahan doesn’t just want talent, he wants cap flexibility to chase it again next year. The Eagles also confirmed the news with their official tweet, “We’ve agreed to trade DE Bryce Huff to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2026 mid-round draft pick, pending a physical.” The fans are excited.
San Francisco is betting it still fits somewhere, and that’s where John Lynch saw the opportunity. They also have the rookies to take care of the team. The only thing to be seen is how they use him. It would be interesting. The 49ers are working as per their tried and tested approach of building the trenches silently, no hush, just control.
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