After nine seasons, Arik Armstead will play somewhere other than San Francisco as the team plans on releasing him. The reason why has just been revealed.
The 49ers reportedly approached Armstead about taking a “significant” pay cut, but he chose to decline, resulting in his release, per NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco.
Also Read: BREAKING: San Francisco 49ers Release Superstar & Fans Are Confused
Armstead was set to enter the final year of a five-year, $85 million contract in 2024. He was set to make $17.41 million in the upcoming season.
Instead of returning to San Francisco, Armstead is going to enter free agency with the league’s legal tampering period starting Monday.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
The 30-year-old played in 128 games with the 49ers which included 12 playoff games. He helped the team capture NFC titles in 2019 and in 2023. Throughout his career, he racked up 33.5 career sacks that included a career-high 10 sacks in 2019. He also has 302 career tackles (43 for loss), three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Last year, he recorded five sacks and was 10th in the NFL among defensive tackles in pass rush wins, according to ESPN Analytics.
The 49ers now have a huge hole to fill as the team looks to get back to the Super Bowl and come out victorious after two losses to the Chiefs in the big game.
