Will the 49ers Regret Releasing Arik Armstead?

The 49ers aren't really saving a ton of cap space here and Arik Armstead is still a fairly high-level player. You have to wonder if releasing him was really worth it.

And just like that, he's gone.

Defensive tackle Arik Armstead, the longest tenured player on the team, has officially been released by the San Francisco 49ers. Armstead was approached by the 49ers to take a pay cut, but refused and as a result is now a free agent.

The 49ers have reportedly designated Armstead as a post-June 1 release in order to actually save some money ($18 million). Regardless, they are eating a good deal of dead money with him gone. Armstead will count $10.3 million in dead money this year and another $15.5 million in dead money on the 49ers' 2025 salary cap.

You have to wonder if releasing him was really worth it. The 49ers aren't really saving a ton here and Armstead is still a fairly high-level player. It also doesn't look like the players are too fond of the move either. At least, not according to Deebo Samuel who recently posted multiple "face palm" emojis on Instagram to the news of Armstead's release. 

#49ers Deebo Samuel reacts to the release of Arik Armstead on IG 💔 pic.twitter.com/NZvlBGpca2

— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) March 13, 2024

Will the 49ers regret releasing Armstead?

They'll regret it only if Armstead suddenly has a healthy 2024 season. Releasing him didn't have too much to do with his performances. He is still a good player who can make an adequate impact. But the reality is that Armstead's body is breaking down. He isn't a dependable player to the 49ers anymore.

Armstead is basically what he was to the 49ers when he first began his career again, except now it makes sense because he is older with a lot of tread. 21 games is all he was able to manage in his last two seasons and they had to do with a bit of similar injuries. First it was the plantar fasciitis, which popped up again this year. Then it was a broken foot and now this past season it was a torn meniscus.

The 49ers were justified in asking Armstead to take a pay cut. He has made over $80 million in his career, so it seemed like a decent chance that he'd agree. Chances are that he misses games again in 2024 and possibly starts to decline in performance. That is why the 49ers are okay with moving on with him even with the dead money.

Besides, the money that will get freed up by the Summer will be put to good use into an extension for Brandon Aiyuk. If that ends up happening, then Armstead's release will not be a regretful one at all for the 49ers.