The Philadelphia Eagles have got themselves a closer apparently.
New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh made a strange comparison when he said that the Eagles acquired the “NFL’s equivalent of Mariano Rivera” with their signing of linebacker Bryce Huff.
Mariano Rivera is of course the legendary closer for the New York Yankees who won five World Series with them and holds the MLB’s all-time saves record with 652.
It’s unclear where this comparison comes from or how it even makes sense.
Saleh coached Huff for three seasons with the Jets.
Huff, a two-time second-team All-AAC linebacker, was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Memphis in 2020.
In his four seasons with the Jets, Huff boasts 14.5 sacks, 65 tackles, a forced fumble, and three pass deflections.
Despite the high praise for Huff, he hadn’t started a game for the Jets since 2021.
The signing of Huff by the Eagles away from the Jets allowed for the Haason Reddick trade to be completed last week, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.
“The Eagles signed Bryce Huff away from the Jets in free agency, part of why Haason Reddick became available for a trade.”
The Eagles reportedly agreed on a deal with Huff for three years, $51.1 million on March 13.
While Huff may very well end up being a good signing for the Eagles, the comparison by Saleh to Rivera is quite baffling.
