Ducks Digest

San Francisco 49ers Plan to Release DT Arik Armstead

The former Oregon standout was a first-round pick for San Francisco in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Max Torres

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It looks like Arik Armstead has played his last down in San Francisco.

On Sunday, Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report reported that the 49ers plan to release the ninth-year defensive lineman.

Armstead played in 12 games for the 49ers in 2023, recording 27 total tackles and 5 sacks. He was a main cog along a defensive line that also featured Javon Hargrave, Javon Kinlaw and Nick Bosa.

The anticipated move comes after the 49ers reportedly approached Armstead about taking a "significant" pay cut from his expected salary of $17.41 million, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.

The former Oregon standout and five-star recruit was selected by the 49ers with the 17th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Armstead turned 30 last November and missed a combined 13 games the past two seasons after battling foot and knee injuries. 

Now expected to test the open market, he'll will likely find a new home with the start of NFL Free Agency on Monday.

His anticipated release is expected to save the 49ers around $2.5 million in cap space. He's one of two former Oregon defensive linemen that have spent significant time playing in San Francisco.

DeForest Buckner opted to stay an additional year in Eugene and was also selected by the 49ers with a first-round draft pick in 2016. He played in the Bay Area for four seasons before he was later traded to the Indianapolis Colts in 2019. 

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Max Torres
MAX TORRES

Max Torres is the publisher and lead editor of Ducks Digest. He's covered the Oregon football and recruiting beats for four years. He's based out of Long Beach, CA and travels around Southern California and the country covering top high school football prospects.

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