In startling recent developments, Fred Warner, the linebacker of the San Francisco 49ers, expressed his profound surprise at his fellow teammate, Arik Armstead’s, unexpected departure to Jacksonville.
Warner voiced his uncensored thoughts during an interview on Monday via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com, saying it was a “huge surprise”.
Fred Warner admits “huge surprise” at departure of Arik Armstead. https://t.co/cU9w7ULDwX
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 23, 2024
Armstead has been with the 49ers for nine remarkable seasons that saw his growth as a player, but moreover, as a cornerstone of the team.
Fred Warner went on to call him “the blueprint for how to be a Niner”. With a legacy of being a first-round pick, Armstead has been a longstanding ‘Niner.
“Huge surprise,” Warner said “Ever since I’ve been here, we called him the blueprint for how to be a Niner. That was the longest-tenured Niner that’s been here and a guy that’s done it right through and through.”
Despite a promising beginning, Armstead’s football journey was not always smooth sailing. Over the course of the last two seasons, he battled injuries that caused him to miss 13 games. Yet, he was slated to draw a base salary of $17.4 million in 2024.
Despite dealing with a few setbacks, Arik Armstead’s illustrious history with the 49ers ended abruptly when he left the team to join Jacksonville.
In Armstead’s absence, the San Francisco 49ers moved swiftly to plug the void by turning to Maliek Collins and Jordan Elliott as potential replacements.
Collins, secured through a trade deal, and free agent Elliott were signed on to supplement the team’s defensive tackle.
While Armstead’s departure did cause some initial worry, the 49ers still have the option of drafting in a new defensive tackle.
“We obviously got some big shoes to fill at that position,” Warner said. “And it’s not up to just one guy to just come in and be the new Arik Armstead. It’s going to take the whole group to elevate their game to make up for that. So yeah, sad to see him go, for sure.”
