The 2024 NFL free agency cycle has been wild, with plenty of surprises. The most recent signing is the Jacksonville Jaguars making a surprise splash, signing former San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Arik Armstead, who was recently released. What are the details of his brand-new contract?
Arik Armstead’s Contract Details
Heading into the free agency period, Armstead wasn’t actually expected to hit the market. He still had two seasons left on his five-year, $85 million contract he signed with the 49ers back in 2020. However, due to a massive cap hit and his unwillingness to restructure his deal, he was released when the new league year started.
When he hit the market, Armstead was one of the best players available. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, he was pursued by several teams, including the Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, and Houston Texans. However, it was the Jaguars that landed him.
Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report broke down the contract details. The Jaguars signed Armstead to a three-year, $51 million deal, which comes to $17 million per season. The specifics of the contract haven’t been announced yet.
The connection between the Jaguars and Armstead? General manager Trent Baalke. Baalke was the 49ers’ GM in 2015, when the team selected Armstead in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. With Armstead hitting the open market for the first time in his career, Baalke brought him with him.
Significance of Armstead Joining the Jaguars
For the Jaguars, signing Armstead was much needed. Despite heavy investment in the position, the team wasn’t getting the production they needed out of their inside defensive line. The highest Jaguars defensive tackle in pressures ranked 28th, and the highest in win rate ranked 73rd.
Armstead ranked 12th in pressures (58) and ninth in win rate (15.2%). In his nine-year career, he totaled 302 tackles, 33.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and six pass deflections.
When aligned as a left interior defensive lineman, where Armstead lines up the most of anyone since 2016, he tied for the third-most pressures in the NFL on those snaps, according to Next Gen Stats. The only other Jaguar to even generate more than 15 pressures last season was Roy Robertson-Harris.
Also according to Next Gen Stats, in 2023, the 49ers generated a 46.6% pressure rate with Armstead on the field, as opposed to 33.7% without him. That stat includes the playoffs, in which he had one sack and 11 tackles in during 2023. In his career, Armstead had 23 tackles and eight sacks in 12 playoff games.
The Jaguars signing Armstead comes just one day after they saw star receiver Calvin Ridley sign with the Titans, a division rival.
The Jaguars reportedly offered Ridley shy of $20 million per year, but he opted to sign with the Titans on a four-year, $92 million deal that was worth $23 million per year. Instead, the Jaguars use that money on Armstead.
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Following the 49ers Super Bowl loss, which ended up being Armstead’s last with the team, he told reporters that he played through a knee injury in the postseason that required offseason surgery.
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