Is Arik Armstead Justified in Feeling "Disrespected" From the 49ers?

The 49ers wanted Arik Armstead to take a pay cut to give them salary cap relief, which ended up being a "disrespectful" offer to him. Are his feelings justified?

Feb 5, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead (91) during Super | Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It is now known how much of a pay cut the San Francisco 49ers wanted Arik Armstead to take.

They wanted him to go from his $18 million salary in 2024 to a $6 million one-year deal with incentives that can earn him up to $8 million. When Armstead received that offer from the 49ers, he cited that he felt "disrespected" from it.

That "disrespect" is clearly a driving force into why he wanted to be released to find a team who would pay him what he's worth. He took a gamble and it more than paid off as he will make $17 million a year with the Jacksonville Jaguars in a state with no income tax.

So, is Armstead justified in feeling "disrespected" from the 49ers?

Absolutely. Look, I was someone who agreed with the 49ers wanting Armstead to take a pay cut. He is not worth the $18 million salary anymore, especially with how heavy of a salary cap hit his contract had. But I didn't think a pay cut of $12 million, which is two-thirds of his original deal, was fair.

I get the NFL is business. There is never ill-will or desired disrespected intent from teams. The 49ers felt what was right, which is something I don't agree with. I agree with their thought process of a pay cut request to Armstead, but not that steep of one. It is no wonder he felt disrespected from it and elected to find a new deal elsewhere.

He knew his worth and the Jaguars showed it. I thought asking Armstead to take a pay reduction made sense if it took him down to $12 million or so. He is still a high-level player who makes an impact. The only real concern with him is his health. His body appears to be breaking down the last two seasons, and there is always the potential of a performance decline.

However, aside from the injuries, there wasn't really a case to be made for Armstead to take such a drastic cut. Javon Kinlaw in comparison is making more with the New York Jets ($7.2 million) than what Armstead would make if he settled for that pay cut. Talk about a cold world in the business of the NFL.

Good on Armstead for banking on himself and finding the deal fit for him.