The San Francisco 49ers appear set to replace defensive end Arik Armstead for…
The San Francisco 49ers appear set to replace defensive end Arik Armstead with free agent Jordan Elliott, following confirmation from Elliott’s agent on Tuesday that an agreement has been reached with the team.
San Francisco requested Armstead reduce his $17.4 million salary for the year 2024, a proposal he refused. According to Jordan Schultz from Bleacher Report, the 49ers are planning to let Armstead go due to his refusal.
Instead, the 49ers have agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal with Elliott, who spent the last four seasons with the Cleveland Browns, amassing 98 tackles, five sacks, 10 quarterback hits, and four pass deflections across 66 games, with 35 starts.
Elliott experienced a significant portion of his production in the last two seasons, starting 31 games during that period. He acknowledged having a challenging start to his career but managed to turn things around.
Elliott shared with Scott Petrak of the Chronicle-Telegram in November 2023, “There were times I doubted if I was meant for the NFL. Just being honest.”
He expressed gratitude towards the Browns for their extended opportunity, highlighting his $4.5 million rookie contract over four years. Elliott didn’t see much game time until his third season in 2022, having started only four games in his initial two years.
“It wasn’t handed to me. I just want to make that clear. It’s significant,” Elliott remarked. “I’ve worked hard to get to this point. And I’m not stopping here. There’s still much room for improvement. So I’m going to continue striving to get better by 1 percent every day.”
Elliott admitted to Petrak that a shift in motivation and an increase in workout frequency—from twice to five times a week after 2021—were pivotal.
“I was aware but lacked motivation,” Elliott said. “The absence of focus and attention to detail, not being professional,. I was aware, but not to the extent that I wanted to get better. It took me this long to realize that.”
Selected by Cleveland from Missouri in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Elliott had an impressive college career at Missouri and the Texas Longhorns, recording 52 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and four pass deflections over three seasons in 26 games.
Elliott’s path to college was notable for his commitments to Baylor, Michigan, and Houston before settling with the Longhorns. He had a notable high school career, including playing in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in 2016.
“That was a part of my immaturity. I’m not that person anymore,” Elliott told the Akron Beacon-Journal in 2020 about his college commitments. “Every morning, I hope to be a better person than I was the day before. It’s all about growth for me. That was just a small part of my journey.”
