Report: 49ers re-sign Elk Grove’s Arik Armstead to big 5-year contract
The 49ers accomplished one of their biggest goals of the offseason Monday by agreeing to terms with defensive lineman Arik Armstead on a five-year, $85 million contract, according to NFL Network.
The pact matches the terms of Dee Ford’s five-year, $85 million deal he signed after being acquired in the trade from the Kansas City Chiefs last season.
“We are very pleased to have come together with Arik and his representatives to complete this contract extension prior to free agency,” said 49ers general manager John Lynch in a statement. “Arik’s physical tools and versatility have allowed him to be highly productive in our style of defense, and we look forward to watching him take his game to an even higher level as he grows within our scheme. Arik has been an impact player on the field and a difference-maker in our community, and we are excited for what the future holds for him.”
Signing Armstead to a long-term deal presumably gives the team financial flexibility while it maneuvers through tight salary cap restrictions this offseason. The 49ers began the week with roughly $17 million in projected cap space while the average annual salary for Amstead’s new deal is also $17 million. The structure of the contract has not been disclosed and it’s likely the deal is backloaded to give the team spending room for this season.
Armstead, 26, is coming off the best season of his career in 2019 when he was a key player on one of the NFL’s most imposing defensive lines. He recorded a personal-best 10 sacks, 54 tackles and 11 tackles for loss, working at both defensive end and defensive tackle for the league’s second-ranked defense. He had sacks in the first two playoff games against the Vikings and Packers.
“I’m excited to continue my career with the 49ers, the organization that gave me a chance by drafting me five years ago,” Armstead said in a statement released by the team. “I want to thank the York family, John, Kyle and Paraag for acknowledging what I’ve done, both on and off the field, for this team since 2015. They have given me the platform to give back to my community and play the game I love at the highest level, and I am just getting started.”
49ers coaches have raved about Armstead’s versatility. He spent last season working primarily as a defensive end in base packages, where he excelled defending the run, and kicked inside to defensive tackle in pass rushing situations where he could work alongside DeForest Buckner.
Buckner is also due for a new contract before playing on his fifth-year option in 2020. The 49ers have indicated they want to keep Buckner around for the long haul, but will have to pay significantly for two interior linemen entering the prime of their careers. Star right end George Kittle is also in line for a new contract ahead of his fourth season.
Signing Armstead to a long-term deal doesn’t come without risk. His 10 sacks led San Francisco’s imposing defensive line last season, but 2019 was first and only year of significant production. Armstead had just nine sacks combined during his first four seasons – and missed 18 games in 2016 and 2017 after needing surgery to repair shoulder and hand injuries, respectively.
The Pleasant Grove High School graduate will stay with the team that selected him in the first round of the 2015 draft, the offseason after former All-Pro Justin Smith retired. Armstead went with the 17th overall pick after three seasons at Oregon.
With Armstead signed, and San Francisco not giving him the franchise tag, the focus with the new league year beginning Wednesday shifts towards looming free agent starters Jimmie Ward and Emmanuel Sanders as the team’s cap space is at a premium.
This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 10:30 AM.