Ex-49ers DT Arik Armstead reportedly agrees to sign with Jaguars

Just a day after Arik Armstead was released by the defending NFC champions, the Jacksonville Jaguars have an agreement to sign the longtime San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle, per multiple reports.

NFL Media first reported the Jaguars were nearing a deal with Armstead. His new contract is reportedly for three years and $51 million.

Armstead has been a stalwart for the 49ers since he was drafted No. 17 overall by San Francisco in 2015 out of Oregon. The 49ers' general manager at the time was Trent Baalke, who is now in the same role with the Jaguars. 

Armstead was the longest-tenured 49ers player at the time of his release,. He has dealt with injuries over the past few seasons and played in only 12 regular-season games in 2023, recording 27 tackles, 5.0 sacks and four tackles for a loss. Armstead divulged after San Francisco's Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs that he had played throughout the playoffs with a knee injury — later revealed to be a torn meniscus. 

After suffering the injury in a game in early December, Armstead missed the rest of the regular season but returned to play in the postseason, racking up 11 tackles, one sack (which came against Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl) and a fumble recovery in three games.

Armstead will miss most offseason activities while recovering from surgery to repair the injury, telling reporters after the season that his goal is to be back for 2024 training camp. Now, he will attempt to do so for a new team in Jacksonville.