Why the 49ers Were Smart to Release Arik Armstead

Armstead doesn't get it. He's offended. He feels the 49ers disrespected him with their offer.

From 2015 to 2023, the 49ers paid Arik Armstead more than $85 million. They even traded away DeForest Buckner so they could pay Armstead instead.

This offseason, the 49ers decided enough was enough. But before they released him, they offered him a giant pay cut, which he refused. Armstead made the right decision for him, considering the Jaguars gave him a three-year deal worth $43.5 million.

But the 49ers also made the right decision for them, and I'll explain why, because Armstead doesn't get it. He's offended. He feels the 49ers disrespected him with their offer.

"They extended an offer to me of $6 million for a one-year deal with incentives to go up to like $8 million," Armstead said on his podcast. "When they sent that over, I did feel extremely disrespected. I don't feel that level of compensation is nowhere near the type of player that I am and what I have committed to the game and my team and the organization and my community. I put a lot into what I do. I'm not just a guy who goes to practice, goes home and does the bare minimum just to get by. I watch the most film, invest the most time in my body and preparation, working on my game and my craft -- I have a real passion for this and a true love for this, and I know for a fact that I put a lot more into football than the majority of players. I think that has value as well."

Everything Armstead said is true, but there's something he didn't say, and it's important: His body is breaking down. He's 30-years old. He has plantar fasciitis, a torn meniscus and he hasn't been fully healthy since 2021.

The plantar fasciitis isn't going away. He'll play through that for the rest of his career, which means he will continue to miss games every season. And of course the Jaguars signed him -- their general manager is Trent Baalke, who drafted Armstead and has taken big gambles on injured players for more than a decade.

The Jaguars made a big mistake giving Armstead all that money, a mistake they'll come to regret real soon once they learn what the 49ers already know: Armstead is damaged goods.