Former 49ers defensive stalwart struggling with his new team in 2024

The San Francisco 49ers let go of their reliable defensive lineman and longest-tenured player, Arik Armstead, last offseason. He signed a large deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a free agent that he has not lived up to as of yet in the 2024 NFL season.

San Francisco drafted Armstead in 2015 out of the University of Oregon. He proved to be a very solid defensive lineman for the Niners and was well-liked by teammates.

Unfortunately, his time with San Francisco did not end in the most peaceful way as he was offered a pay cut and was released when he refused to accept it. Armstead said he felt disrespected by the 49ers asking him to take less money. He ended up landing a three-year deal worth up to $51 million to reunite with former Niners general manager Trent Baalke in Jacksonville.

It was good to see Armstead get paid like this, especially since the 49ers have had to get creative to ensure they can keep their core of players around for as long as possible. They could not have given Armstead the contract he received from Jacksonville. That means well-liked veterans like Armstead unfortunately end up being the odd man out.

On his new team, though, he has struggled thus far. He had one slightly embarrassing moment in Week 6 against the Chicago Bears where he floundered on the ground when trying to chase down quarterback Caleb Williams.

It was not a great start to his career with the Jags, which has been reflected in their 2-5 record thus far.

To be fair, Armstead did look better in Week 7 as Jacksonville trounced the New England Patriots. That is not a super impressive feat, but it is worth remembering that Armstead is coming off offseason knee surgery so it may have taken him some time to get comfortable on the field again.

Armstead was a great 49er, so let's hope he can build upon his solid play in Week 7 even if his Jags career has been a bit disappointing so far. He played through injury and gave his heart and soul to try and help San Francisco win a Super Bowl, so Niners fans should always be grateful to big No. 91.

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