March 27, 2026, 9:15 p.m. PT

The San Francisco 49ers were dealt a bit of a curveball this offseason when 27-year-old defensive end Bryce Huff announced his retirement from the NFL.

Huff stepped away from football after six seasons to put all of his energy into a business he founded that is dedicated to reducing fire risk that comes with lithium batteries.

“I’m building a company called Naberstone,” Huff said in a social media video announcing his retirement. “Lithium batteries power the modern world, but they carry a fire risk that current suppression technology was never designed to solve. We’re building safety infrastructure, specifically for that problem. Proprietary suppression systems, advanced detection technology, and containment built for lithium-ion battery events. This mission will save lives and protect critical infrastructure as battery technology continues to scale.
I can’t ask the people who believe in this mission to go all in if I’m not willing to do the same.”

In an interview with NFL Network, Huff explained the timing of his retirement.

“Me and my brother have been building this company for the last two-and-a-half years or so and we’ve been picking up a lot of steam,” Huff said. “I weighed the options with my team and advisors, and we feel like this is the best thing to do.”

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Huff further explained that leaving football to commit to his business at a younger age gives him a greater runway to have success in his post-football endeavors.

“I’m extremely at peace with it, especially because this is something I feel strongly about,” Huff said of his retirement. “I just feel like we’re going to save a lot of lives, protect a lot of companies, protect a lot of assets. And just with me being so young, I’ve always been an entrepreneur. I’ve always thought of ways to move society forward and I feel like this is a great opportunity for me being my age to get immersed in the business world, immersed in the company and learn the ins and outs of what it’s going to take to be a successful founder.”

While he retired early, Huff still put together a strong NFL career after joining the New York Jets as an undrafted rookie in 2020. In six seasons he played in 81 games with 21 starts. He posted 24.0 career sacks, 62 quarterback hits and 26 tackles for loss.

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