Armstead felt 'disrespected' by 49ers' offer before joining Jaguars
Defensive tackle Arik Armstead was disappointed by what the San Francisco 49ers offered him before he decided to join the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason.
"(The 49ers) 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 the latest edition of his "Third and Long" podcast. "When they sent that over, I did feel extremely disrespected. I don't feel that that level of compensation is nowhere near the type of player that I am."
Armstead, who was the longest-tenured player on the 49ers last year, would've had a $17.41-million base salary in 2024 under his previous deal before San Francisco tried to restructure his contract, which would have involved a significant pay cut. The Niners released Armstead after he declined the restructured deal.
The 30-year-old then signed a three-year pact worth $43.5 million with the Jaguars in free agency. The deal includes $28 million guaranteed.
"I wanted to sign a four-year, $80-million contract. That was the goal of mine (at the beginning of the season)," Armstead said. "That's the type of player I feel that I am. And players who are on my caliber, that's what they make."
A first-round pick in 2015, Armstead has spent his entire career with the 49ers and was a cornerstone of the team's defense. However, the Oregon product battled several injuries. He's missed 13 regular-season games in the last two years, including five contests in 2023.
Armstead recently said he would undergo knee surgery after playing through a torn meniscus during the postseason. The 49ers reached Super Bowl LVIII but fell short against the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime.
Though Armstead didn't want to leave the 49ers, he said he knew it was a possibility.
"Heading into this season," Armstead said, "I kind of felt like I might play myself out of being in San Francisco. ... I understand the business of football. I can see it would be hard to have two $20-million D-tackles and a $30-million defensive end and all this talent on our team."
The 49ers boast one of the NFL's most well-rounded rosters with stars on both sides of the ball. San Francisco players rank in the top three in average annual salary at five different positions. That includes Christian McCaffrey - the league's highest-paid running back - and edge rusher Nick Bosa, who signed a record five-year, $170-million extension last year.