Arik Armstead’s first season in Jacksonville didn’t go as planned.
On top of acclimating to a new home after nine years with the San Francisco 49ers, Armstead had to adapt to a different position and an unfamiliar role along with it during the 2024 campaign, as he went from an interior defensive starter to a rotational edge piece with the Jaguars.
In doing so, the 31-year-old tallied two sacks, his lowest total during a season in which he’s played double-digit games since his 2015 rookie campaign, which also happens to be the last time he started just a singular game.
“When I look back, look at the film for me, I haven’t not started in a long time,” Armstead said following the season, per the Florida Times-Union. “It was a position change for me. Next year [I] got a lot planned, so I’ll just leave it at that.”
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Whatever he envisions for his follow-up season in teal, it’s likely far different than how the recent one transpired.
The Jaguars agreed with Armstead on a three-year deal during the offseason a day after the 49ers released him, adding a proven veteran to a team that had gone 9-8 two years running and was looking to better its standing.
Instead, Jacksonville’s fortunes plummeted. Armstead failed to make a meaningful impact playing behind Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen as the defense slipped from 17th in scoring to 27th and finished 31st in yards allowed, tied with the 2020 unit for its worst finish in team history.
Armstead logged just 70 snaps combined between the right and left defensive tackle spots, per PFF, the lowest of his career outside of a six-game 2017 season.
The Jaguars finished 4-13 and fired head coach Doug Pederson the Monday after the season ended.
While Armstead called Pederson a “great person” and “great coach,” the upcoming change in regime likely ushers in a new mindset on defense, possibly allowing the vet to venture farther inside where he’s become most comfortable.
“That’s gonna be my plan,” he said. “That was what I wanted to do this season as well, too. There’s situations that you have to deal with in this league. I’m gonna switch back inside, which was what I wanted to do this season, and I’m gonna be back playing to an elite player that I know I can be.”
It’s worth noting that Armstead had his finest year in 2019, when he racked up a career-high 10 sacks while playing the majority of his snaps at left end (481 lined up outside the right tackle and 170 on or shading the RT). However, he transitioned in the years following to a majority inside rusher, with an average of 412 snaps played at DT during his last three seasons with the 49ers.
He’s versatile, but that’s where he feels he belongs now, with time on the end sprinkled in rather than the other way around.
Should the Jags view things the same way, Armstead is confident he still has it in him to rebound from a down year with a great one.
“I’m someone who has been through I feel like every situation that you can go through in the league and I’ve always overcome it,” Armstead said. “You can look at the history of my career and the different situations I’ve been in.
“I’ve been a situation like this before where I had to break out of something and overcome it. I’m excited to do that next year.”