49ers DL Arik Armstead Has Surgery

49ers defensive lineman Arik Armstead is recovering from minor foot surgery, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The good news is that Rapoport’s source says teh procedure was a minor cleanup and he should be fine for most, if not all, of the spring drills. 

However, it’s a situation to keep an eye on as injuries have cut Armstead’s past two seasons short. In 2016, a shoulder injury cost him half of the season. Then, last year, he missed ten games after injuring his hand. He’s now dealing with some type of foot issue after the Niners exercised his $9.046MM option for the 2019 season, which is guaranteed for injury.

If Armstead misses time but heals up is able to pass a physical before the season starts, the Niners can still get out of their obligation for 2019. But, if he doesn’t get the green light from doctors, the 49ers will be forced to keep him at a salary of $9.046MM.

Armstead has played defensive tackle in the past, but last year he lined up at end in defensive coordinator Robert Saleh‘s 4-3 scheme. Had he been classified as a defensive tackle, his ’19 option would have been worth $7.154MM, about $1.9MM less than his scheduled rate.

Although the injuries have been frustrating, Armstead has been effective at creating pressure when on the field. Last year, he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 44 ranked edge defender, which paints a more accurate picture of his performance than his total of 1.5 sacks. PFF’s ranking put him roughly in the same range as notables like Michael Bennett, Ezekiel Ansah, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Bruce irvin.