Arik Armstead has recently signed with the Jaguars after leaving the 49ers, but he made it clear that he was not happy with how his former team handled his release. In a trailer for an episode of his podcast, “Third and Long,” Armstead expressed his disrespect for the way things played out. He clarified that he has no animosity towards the 49ers organization, but felt it necessary to address the situation.
Despite receiving an offer from the 49ers, Armstead ultimately decided to leave the team. In the trailer, he mentioned that after nine years with the organization, he felt that it was time for him to move on and pursue new opportunities. It is clear that Armstead’s departure was not an easy decision for him, but he felt it was necessary for his career growth.
Having been selected as No. 17 overall in the 2015 draft, Armstrong had a successful tenure with the 49ers. During his time with the team, he accumulated 33.5 sacks, 43 tackles for loss and 88 KB hits in just 116 games. Now he is reuniting with general manager Trent Baalke who originally drafted him for San Francisco and now holds a similar role with Jacksonville.
Armstrong’s full podcast episode discussing his departure from the 49ers will be released Thursday, shedding more light on his feelings about the situation and why he chose to leave despite being offered to stay by San Francisco’s management team.