Why Bryce Huff left the NFL at age 27, and why he has no regrets (paywall)
“Everything is slowly but surely containing batteries, from cars to our tools to bikes, you name it,” Huff said. “The biggest risk with batteries is the way they ignite if they were to take on some type of damage or malfunction or short circuit. One cell in the battery combusts … and then it’s just like a chain reaction throughout the battery.”
These types of fires are difficult to extinguish with water, Huff said, and doing
so can disperse dangerous toxins. He and his brother have been working on a solution to put out fires without releasing toxic chemicals into the environment, and they think they’ve found one. They’ve partnered with an international manufacturer for scaled production.
“There’s not really much on the market that works like our product does, being environmentally friendly and safe to use for firefighters and people around the world,” Tacker said.
Huff and his brother were always thinking big picture, even when they played football growing up. Huff said they “were enthralled with science and entrepreneurship.” He studied mechanical engineering at Memphis until one of his favorite professors was laid off due to budget cuts, and he focused on football….the thought of walking away was already in the back of his head when he showed up in Santa Clara.
“I knew we would be able to help a lot of people, and the monetary upside was there as well,” he said. “So I feel like it was kind of making sense back then, but even more so after this season with how much traction we’ve gained over the last year.”
Huff said he was able to make several connections through football, and that the decision to walk away from $5.4 million from the 49ers was not difficult. (He didn’t have any guarantees in the third year of his contract, but there were prorated bonuses, and the 49ers still need a pass rusher.)
Huff said all players know they need a plan after football, and while some are in denial, he was lucky to have one that he accelerated
“Everybody knows football is a short-term game,” he said. “You can only play until your 30s anyway.”
Commanders were willing to sign 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk before recent concerns
“Here’s what I can tell you: I know that earlier in the offseason, the Commanders were interested in him to the extent that they would consider a one-year, highly incentivized deal if and when the San Francisco 49ers ever release him,” Jhabvala wrote.
“Jayden Daniels is obviously close with the 28-year-old receiver, and general manager Adam Peters was a part of San Francisco’s front office when it drafted Aiyuk in 2020. So they know what Aiyuk was at his peak.”
Jhabvala noted that Washington was never interested in trading for Aiyuk. Instead, the Commanders preferred the flexibility of a short-term contract that would allow them to move on easily if the partnership didn’t work out.
“If the 49ers do release Aiyuk before the start of training camp, the Commanders could still consider him,” Jhabvala wrote. “But they’d have to feel incredibly confident that he’s fit, physically and emotionally, to not just sign, but be committed to what they’re trying to build. That’s a big ‘if’ given his recent history and the fallout with the 49ers.”
49ers 90-in-90: What would an extension look like for Dominick Puni?
“Tippmann was drafted in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. New York recently signed Tippmann to a four-year, $62 million extension with $31 million in new guarantees.
Sports Info Solutions has a player metric called total points earned. Tippman has 20, 31, and 30 points earned in three seasons. Puni has fared better, earning 30 and 34 points in his first two seasons.
For what it’s worth, Puni is closer to Tyler Smith’s numbers of the Dallas Cowboys. That’s noteworthy, as Smith briefly set the NFL record for the highest annual average among guards. Smith was selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. In four seasons, he’s earned 30, 32, 31, and 37 points. The first-round pedigree works in Smith’s favor, as does his availability and production.
Puni will need to improve his consistency to step into Smith’s tier, which is why it’s more likely he ends up with Tippmann’s contract.”
