Report: The 49ers are releasing Arik Armstead

That’s a shocker on the eve of free agency

Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweeted that the San Francisco 49ers are releasing defensive tackle Arik Armstead, who has decided to become a free agent.

Per Over the Cap, the 49ers would have to designate this move as a post-June-1 release to save roughly $8 million in 2024. There will be an $18 million cap savings in 2024, but the team must eat $10.3 million in dead money.

If the team elected to use the pre-June 1 release designation, the 49ers would eat $25.8 million in dead money in 2024 and save just $2.4 million in cap space.

Armstead was scheduled to have a $28.34 million cap hit. The 49ers could split the dead money between 2024 and 2025 using the June 1 release.

For as much talk about the struggling run defense during the second half, it’s difficult to blame Steve Wilks when his starting defensive tackle(s) weren’t on the field. One Armstead was injured down the stretch; the 49ers finished in the bottom quarter of the league in most run-defense metrics.

Armstead started 12 games in 2023 and nine games in 2022. He just turned 30 in November, which suggests the 49ers are looking to get younger and more reliable at defensive tackle.

Assuming this report is accurate, Javon Hargrave is the only defensive tackle who will return in 2024 and play significant snaps. On the field, Armstead was one of the better defensive tackles in the league, but releasing him is the 49ers’ way of telling us they can’t justify paying him, given Arik’s injury history.