One of the NFL’s better defensive ends will be hitting the open market.
And the 49ers will lose their longest-tenured player.
San Francisco plans to fire Arik Armstead after the two sides were unable to finalize a restructured contract, according to multiple reports.
The 49ers asked Armstead to take a “significant” pay cut. According to NBC Sports Bay Area.
Armstead, 30, is in the final season of a five-year, $85 million contract he signed ahead of the 2020-21 season and was scheduled to count $28.35 million against the salary cap.
But even if they waive him right away, the 49ers would only save about $2.5 million.
However, if the 49ers designate Armstead for reduction after June 1, they would save about $18.5 million, but they can’t spend that money until he’s off the roster.
Armstead was selected by the 49ers with the 17th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and spent nine seasons with the team.
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Armstead, a team captain and the 49ers’ Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee last year, missed the regular season after suffering a torn right meniscus during a Dec. 3 win over the Eagles. He played in just 12 games and recorded five sacks, 27 total tackles, 13 quarterback hits, and four tackles for loss.
He returned in the postseason and recorded one sack, 11 total tackles, two QB hits, and one tackle for loss, helping the 49ers advance to the 2024 Super Bowl, where they defeated the Chiefs for the second time in five years. He suffered a second defeat.
Just a year ago, Armstead played in just nine games due to injuries to both feet, including plantar fasciitis and a broken bone.
Armstead isn’t the only 49ers defensive lineman scheduled to become a free agent, with Chase Young hitting the open market after San Francisco just acquired him last season in exchange for a third-round pick. Become.
