49ers Sign Sack Leader Arik Armstead to 6-Year Deal: Report

Arik Armstead will be a San Francisco 49er for the foreseeable future. The Niners and their 2019 sack leader have agreed to terms.

NFL Insider Jason La Canfora reported late Sunday evening that San Francisco was “making significant headway” in the re-signing of Armstead, and he was correct. Per NFL insider Ian Rapoport, “The 49ers are giving star DL Arik Armstead a 5-year deal,” according to his sources. The deal was made official by the team later that afternoon.

While it was initially reported Armstead’s deal was for five-years, his contract with the team is for six years, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. As The Athletic’s David Lombardi notes, Armstead’s new contract is heavily backloaded; he’ll have a $2.5 million base salary in 2020, and it only goes up from there:

Armstead has started every game for the 49ers over the last two seasons, and he has become a core member of one of the league’s best defenses. He broke out in 2019, netting 10 sacks, which led the team. He also forced two fumbles and had a fumble recovery last season. He has started a total of 62 games in his five years with the 49ers.

Armstead was drafted in the first round (17th overall) by San Francisco in the 2015 NFL Draft. After a slow rookie season followed by a few injuries, Armstead didn’t hit the ground running his first few seasons. In 2018, he had three sacks and six tackles for loss, and the 49ers elected to pick up his fifth-year option. He became quite the force in 2019. He had 18 quarterback hits to go along with his 10 sacks, and he also had 11 tackles for loss.

Armstead has made it clear he wanted to be back with San Francisco. In early February, he clapped back at a fan who suggested the 49ers sign Jadeveon Clowney.

“I would love being here, trying to go back to the Super Bowl,” Armstead said in February after the 49ers lost Super Bowl LIV. “However that has to get done, that’s not really my decision what they want to do with me.”

He also said prior to being signed that he was willing to be tagged by the team, and he was consistently cooperative and amenable during contract talks. Armstead was even willing to discuss a deal with less money in order to make it possible to stay in San Francisco, per Jennifer Lee Chan.

Niners Nation can now rest easy, as they have their sack leader back ands firmly in place for the next several seasons.

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