Arik Armstead’s brief stint of unemployment came to an end swiftly. The Jacksonville Jaguars reached an agreement with the former San Francisco defensive tackle on a three-year, $51 million contract, disclosed a source familiar with the decision to The Associated Press on Thursday.
The source requested anonymity as neither party had officially announced the transaction. Armstead became available when the San Francisco 49ers released him to alleviate salary cap constraints at Wednesday’s start of the new league year.
Now, he is set to relocate to the East Coast and reunite with Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke, who selected Armstead with the 17th overall pick in the 2015 draft. Assuming he maintains his health, Armstead is poised to make a significant impact for a Jaguars squad that ranked 25th in the league last season with 40 sacks.
His role will likely involve lining up alongside standout pass rushers Josh Allen and Travon Walker, aiming to provide the interior push that the team has lacked for some time.
The Jaguars’ ability to secure Armstead was facilitated by their decision not to retain wide receiver Calvin Ridley. With Ridley opting to sign with division rival Tennessee on a four-year, $92 million deal Wednesday, Jacksonville seized the opportunity to acquire the services of the 6-foot-7, 290-pound defender.
In the 2023 regular season, Armstead registered five sacks in 12 games and added another in the playoffs. Across his career, he has accumulated 33 1/2 sacks in 116 regular-season appearances, ranking second in postseason sacks in 49ers history with eight.
Over the past two seasons, Armstead has been plagued by injuries, appearing in only 21 regular-season games due to knee and foot ailments. Despite playing through a torn meniscus in his right knee during the postseason, he underwent surgery after the Super Bowl.
Armstead was slated to earn a base salary of $17.4 million for the upcoming season, with a cap hit of $28.4 million, prompting the 49ers to part ways with him.
