Arik Armstead is set to spend the next three years playing in the AFC South. However, rather than donning the Houston Texans’ jersey, he will now be part of the Jacksonville Jaguars as a divisional rival.
On Friday, he inked a lucrative three-year contract worth $51.0 million with the Jaguars. This decision came about following the collapse of the Texans’ trade efforts with the San Francisco 49ers. Sources hinted to TexansDaily.com to closely monitor Armstead’s situation once he hit free agency at the onset of the league’s new year.
If Armstead had signed with the Texans, he would have reunited with coach DeMeco Ryans, who was the 49ers’ defensive coordinator from 2021 to 2022. However, Armstead had a different reunion in mind that convinced him to choose Jacksonville.
In a statement during Jaguars media availability on Monday, Armstead mentioned his strong relationship with Trent Baalke as a deciding factor. He expressed excitement about reuniting with Baalke, who originally drafted him nine years ago in San Francisco with the No. 17 pick of the 2015 NFL Draft. Baalke served as the 49ers general manager from 2011 to 2016.
Armstead emphasized that joining Baalke in Jacksonville would facilitate his transition to the Jaguars after spending the past eight years in San Francisco. He highlighted the close bond he maintained with Baalke over the years and mentioned that the Jaguars’ general manager had been observing his career from a distance, acknowledging Armstead’s accomplishments of 305 tackles and 33.5 career sacks with the 49ers. Armstead also noted that choosing the Jaguars put his family in the best possible position.
Armstead’s main priority was to locate a team that offered a sense of ease while recognizing and appreciating his skills. Regrettably for the Texans, Armstead believed that their rival within the division matched his criteria once he entered free agency. According to a source cited by Texans Daily, Houston’s refusal to absorb Armstead’s $17.0 million salary for 2024 at that time influenced the breakdown of the team’s unsuccessful trade proposal, which was supposed to involve former defensive lineman Malik Collins.
Leave a Reply