San Francisco 49ers plan to release DL Arik Armstead

NFL insider Adam Schefter reports Sunday that the San Francisco 49ers and defensive lineman Arik Armstead will likely be going their separate ways soon.

According to Schefter, the franchise and Armstead failed to reach an agreement on a restructured contract this offseason. With San Francisco now planning on releasing Armstead making him a free agent ahead of the 2024 season.

Schefter added that both sides came close to agreeing on a deal, but that Armstead wanted to see what his value was on the open market per Jordan Schultz.

Armstead has spent his entire professional in San Fransisco, selected with the No. 17 overall pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the 49ers out of Oregon. In his nine seasons with the organization, Armstead has played in 116 games and made 97 starts recording 302 tackles, 33.5 sacks, and 42 tackles for loss in the regular season. Also starting in all 12 of his playoff appearances where he’s racked up 38 total tackles, 8.0 sacks, and 6.0 tackles for loss in the postseason for the 49ers.

The 49ers picked up the fifth-year option on Armstead’s contract in the 2018 offseason which was followed by a five-year, $85 million contract extension with San Francisco in 2020 with $48.5 million guaranteed. But now it’s looking like the end of the road between Armstead and San Francisco as he enters his 10th season in the league.

Armstead will enter free agency as one of the most coveted defensive linemen on the market, towering at 6-foot-7, 290 pounds and boasting the ability to line up at a variety of spots along the defensive line in his career.

According to Pro Football Focus, Armstead had a 85.6 pass-rushing grade last season which was the best of his career, ending the regular season with 5.0 sacks and recording six tackles and a sack in San Francisco’s Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Playing a key role in causing havoc and generating pressure for a stacked defensive line unit that tied for seventh in the league last season in sacks as a defense.

Armstead left his mark with the 49ers, ranking 10th all-time in franchise history in sacks. His eight postseason sacks currently rank second among active players across the NFL, as it will surely be interesting to see where the 30-year-old defensive lineman lands in the next chapter of his career.