Arik Armstead says he was shocked to learn that, after signing a five-year extension with the San Francisco 49ers, the team had traded his teammate and friend DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts. That's the ugly business side of the game.
Armstead had hoped to play many more years with his former college and pro teammate, but it wasn't meant to be.
Armstead is glad that he gets to remain with the team that drafted him No. 17 overall in 2015. The defensive lineman is a Northern California native, growing up in the Sacramento area. He remains active within that community, as shown by his efforts to promote take-out from local restaurants during the coronavirus pandemic.
Armstead's deal is reportedly worth up to $85 million, but that wasn't what made re-signing with San Francisco so special to the 26-year-old player.
Staying in the area was a priority for Armstead.
"Re-signing with the Niners wasn't so much about the money, for me," Armstead told Chris Simms of NBC Sports. "I knew I didn't want to be anywhere else, and I knew I wanted to stay close to home and continue to have an impact on the community there that I'm trying to impact. That's what I was really excited about.
"Money comes and goes. God definitely had blessed me there in that situation, financially, but to be able to stay with the Niners, and try to get back to the Super Bowl, and be close to my family, that's what really was important to me."
Armstead's career-high 10 regular-season sacks this past season led the team, and he added two more during the playoffs. The defender registered 54 combined tackles, two passes defensed, and two forced fumbles to go along with that sack total through 16 starts in 2019.
Does Armstead feel the 49ers defense will take a step back without Buckner, a Pro Bowl defensive tackle, in the lineup?
"We just don't have a couple of players in our organization that we rely on every Sunday to go out there and drag us to a victory," he responded. "We have a complete team. If one guy isn't having a productive day, it's going to be another guy. That's why I love being a part of this team. We have leaders and productive guys and superstars all over the field."