Veteran defensive end Arik Armstead and the San Francisco 49ers are set to part ways after failing to agree to a restructured contract, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.
The 49ers reportedly asked Armstead to take a pay cut ahead of the 2024 season, as Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area detailed. But the 30-year-old instead requested his release to test free agency.
Armstead was due to make $17.4 million in ‘24, but his release will enable San Francisco to open up some cap space. Should they make him a post-June 1 cut, the 49ers could free up $18.5 million, though that money wouldn’t be available until he was off the roster. A pre-June 1 cut would open up $2.5 million, which the team could use immediately, per David Lombardi of The Athletic.
Armstead signed a five-year, $85 million deal with the 49ers in 2020. The longest-tenured player on the team, he’s been in San Francisco since 2015. Armstead was drafted by the organization in the first round of the ’15 draft out of the University of Oregon.
Injuries have limited him to 21 games over the last two seasons, including 12 games in ’23. He recorded five sacks and 27 tackles last year and has 33.5 sacks in 116 games in his career.
Armstead was set to enter the final year of his contract in ‘24, but instead he and the 49ers will go their separate ways prematurely, as the veteran pass rusher is set to hit free agency for the first time in his career..
