For the first time since departing the San Francisco 49ers in 2024, veteran defensive tackle Arik Armstead will return to the venue where he spent the overwhelming bulk of his pro career when his Jacksonville Jagaurs visit Levi's Stadium in Week 4.
It has to be a surreal moment for the Northern California native, whom the Niners drafted at No. 17 overall way back in the 2015 NFL Draft.
And Armstead certainly has undergone a lot since he was a raw rookie out of the University of Oregon, including multiple regime changes (both with San Francisco and Jacksonville), several playoff appearances and two trips to the Super Bowl.
Of course, there was his difficult exit from the 49ers after injuries prompted the front office to ask Armstead to take a pay cut entering 2024, which he refused, resulting in a release. And his early days with the Jags brought separate challenges, too, although the same could be said of Jacksonville's entire 2024 campaign.
Yet the 31-year-old defender is making a substantially bigger impact on a revamped defense in 2025, already boasting 1.5 sacks through three games, and the chance to tally more against his former squad should provide plenty of motivation.
49ers welcoming Arik Armstead back will be a bittersweet moment
In many ways, the Niners have yet to succeed in finding Armstead's true successor, and the interior of their defensive line hasn't been the same since he was present. San Francisco tried to make things work with now-Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, but that didn't come to fruition, and a flurry of other interior defenders over the course of 2024 resulted in one of the NFL's worst run defenses of the year.
So, it'll be interesting to know Armstead's perspective on the 49ers' recent efforts to bolster their D-line, including draft selections of linemen like Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins and C.J. West last April.
More provocatively, though, it'll be bittersweet watching one of the Niners' longer-tenured players in franchise history return to his one-time home.
"I am excited about the opportunity to go back there and lace it up"
— Jake Gadon (@JakeGadon_TV) September 25, 2025
Sacramento native & former 49er Arik Armstead makes his return to Santa Clara this week as the Jaguars take on the 49ers
Arik was selected 17th overall by San Francisco in 2015 & spent 9 years with the… pic.twitter.com/576aQLHF0X
"I'm excited about the opportunity to go back there," Armstead told reporters ahead of the game. "It's a big-time game for us, playing against a good team. So, I'm excited about the opportunity to get back there and lace them up."
Armstead also added he's excited to see former teammates, too, although it might be difficult to meet up with one of his former linemates, defensive end Nick Bosa, whose season-ending ACL tear in Week 3 may keep a reunion from happening, namely with Bosa undergoing surgery on Friday prior to the game.
Still, it'll be a provocative moment for both the Jags defender and many of his former San Francisco teammates when the two squads face off on Sept. 28.