Even though they failed to win a playoff game, Arik Armstead and the Jacksonville Jaguars were way ahead of schedule in 2026, as they went from a four-win team that was in contention for the No. 1 overall pick to a 13-win squad that polished off an AFC South division championship.
Armstead took a big risk in leaving the San Francisco 49ers, with whom he accrued a decade of meritorious service, for a Jaguars team that was sputtering under Doug Pederson. However, his move paid off, as Jacksonville is set up well to compete in the AFC South for years to come.
In an exclusive interview with FanSided on behalf of Nationwide, Armstead detailed how he was looking forward to a change of pace after so many years in red and gold. Armstead seems to be loving his decision to head to Florida and turn the Jags around.
"I was excited about the opportunity," Armstead said. "I feel like I made so many connections and planted so many roots [in San Francisco], I was excited about the opportunity to do that in a new area and have an impact both on and off the field...Jacksonville, they embraced me, my family loves it there, it's been awesome."
Jaguars DL Arik Armstead describes how "excited" he was to join Jacksonville
After a fairly milquetoast debut season, Armstead managed to step on the accelerator when new defensive coordinator Anthony Campinale came to town. With 5.5 sacks and even more quality run stuffs, Armstead's ability to move around the defensive line has quickly become an invaluable asset.
Some Jags fans seem to think 2025 may have been the swan song for Armstead in Jacksonville. With big names like Devin Lloyd and Travis Etienne hitting free agency, the idea of jettisoning Armstead to free up some extra funds to pay him might be appealing for James Gladstone.
However, Armstead is quickly becoming someone that Jacksonville may not be able to lose due to his schematic importance. With the defensive line in need of a new playmaker, Jacksonville may find it tough to find someone with his very particular set of skills.
Armstead is the type of player that Super Bowl-caliber teams always seem to have on their starting defense, and the Jaguars may be able to break through in 2026 and beyond if they are able to build more role-players around him in the immediate future.