News of the San Francisco 49ers' first surprising move of the offseason came down on Sunday shortly before the start of the NFL's negotiating window. 

Per multiple reports, the 49ers will release defensive tackle Arik Armstead in a move that will save them just over 18 million against the salary cap if they cut him with a post-June 1 designation. Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report was the first to report the news. Armstead had been due a salary of $17.41 million in 2024 and declined a request by the 49ers to significantly reduce that with a contract restructure.

With the release not yet official, there remains time for the 49ers to keep negotiating with Armstead and potentially find a resolution. However, if this is the end for Armstead and the Niners, it is a sad and underwhelming one for their longest-tenured player.

Armstead is coming off one of the better seasons of his career. In 2023, Armstead had five sacks and 13 quarterback hits in 12 games, missing the final five through foot and knee injuries, the latter of which was reported to be a torn meniscus. He finished the regular season seventh in Pro Football Focus pass rush grade among interior defensive linemen.

Among interior defensive linemen with at least 200 pass rush snaps, the 2015 first-round pick was 10th with a pass rush win rate of 14.6%.

In the postseason, Armstead was tied with Chris Jones for the most pressures among interior defensive linemen with 16, a feat made all the more impressive considering the knee injury he was carrying.

The problem is that injuries have been too prominent a feature of Armstead's career in recent years. He played only nine games in 2022 owing to plantar fasciitis and did not have a sack. Prior to that, he had struggled to replicate his 10-sack season during the 49ers' 2019 Super Bowl run, registering three and a half sacks in 2020 before a six-sack 2021.

Entering his age-31 season with his injury issues, a 49ers team pressed up against the cap not being able to countenance his salary for 2024 is understandable, as is Armstead's unwillingness to be flexible given the dedication he has shown to play through such problems. It's not an impasse where anyone is at fault, but it's one that sets up an unsatisfactory culmination to his career following Armstead's impressive performance in the overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58. 

A few bounces of the ball the other way, and Armstead would have been able to depart as a Super Bowl champion in much more pleasant circumstances. Instead, a four-time Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, a pillar of the community in the Bay Area and Sacramento who has done phenomenal work for charity, and a key locker room leader whose influence is underrated outside of the 49ers facility looks set to get a farewell far from befitting of his career with the team.

It's understandable and it's tough to blame anyone. But, as the 49ers start a critical offseason, it's simply a huge downer.

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