Arik Armstead is ready to get back to work and help the San Francisco 49ers return to the Super Bowl. He, like his teammates, hopes the result will be different during a potential repeat performance. Armstead wants to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy and not be forced to watch as another team does so in his place.
Armstead joined Good Morning Football on Wednesday and shared why he is a firm believer that the 49ers have what it takes to return to the big game.
"I think our team is built the right way, a complete roster from top to bottom," Armstead told Kay Adams, Nate Burleson, Peter Schrager, and Kyle Brandt. "We don't just have a couple of guys who we rely on, on Sundays, to make plays. Guys step up all over the field, all the time—offense, defense, special teams.
"I think we're really complete, and we're built for the long haul. So, I'm excited to get back on this journey when all this COVID-19 clears up, hopefully soon, and get back on this journey to get back to the Super Bowl and get a dub this time."
"I think we're really complete and built for the long haul."@arikarmstead on whether the @49ers will be feeling that Super Bowl hangover. pic.twitter.com/rQbzaa4Lnp
— GMFB (@gmfb) May 20, 2020
The 49ers in March re-signed Armstead to a five-year deal worth up to $85 million. Of course, that meant the departure of his teammate and friend, DeForest Buckner.
San Francisco had actually been looking to trade Buckner since after the Super Bowl when it became apparent that the team was not going to be able to meet his contract demands.
"I definitely didn't expect that to happen," Armstead said. "I was thinking that everybody was still going to be together, and we were still going to continue on this journey, but everything happens for a reason. [Buckner and I have] talked about it. We've been working out with each other, lately, this offseason. We're both extremely blessed, both huge opportunities for us, and God's got a plan for our life, and that's kind of how we talked about it and chalked it up."
Armstead always knew he wanted to stay with the 49ers. He does a lot of work within his home community—the Sacramento area—and wanted to make sure he had an opportunity to continue doing so.
"I wanted to stay with the Niners," Armstead added. "I really didn't want to go anywhere else, so, throughout the process, my agent was talking to some other teams to see what my market was. We knew the whole time that we were just trying to figure out how to get a deal done with the Niners so I could stay there, stay close to home.
"It's definitely amazing to have that opportunity to sign here long-term, and come back to this team, and get back on that journey to get to a Super Bowl."
Click here to watch the entire interview with Armstead, including the defender explaining how his first name was initially meant to be spelled "A-R-I-C," and why that changed.