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Jacksonville Jaguars’ Arik Armstead: Position change wasn't my idea; 2025 will be different
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- Jacksonville Jaguars’ Arik Armstead: Position change wasn't my idea; 2025 will be different
The 2024 season was one that Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Arik Armstead isn't accustomed to.
After making multiple Super Bowl trips with the San Francisco 49ers , Armstead joined the Jaguars last offseason and was expecting to bolster a defensive pairing that led the league in sacks the previous year.
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Instead, Armstead and the defense were ranked 27th in opponents points per game and struggled to consistently stop opposing offenses.
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"When I look back, look at the film for me, I haven't not started in a long time," he said as he reflected on the season during locker room cleanout. "It was a position change for me. Next year [I] got a lot planned, so I'll just leave it at that."
Armstead appeared in all 17 games but only started once for Jacksonville. It was the lowest number of starts for him in a season since his rookie year in 2015.
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He registered only two sacks for Jacksonville, picking up 29 total tackles, three for a loss and seven quarterback hits this year.
Armstead picked up another Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination this season and drew ire from fans for liking an Instagram post from former teammate Aziz Al-Shaair amid controversy from the hit he laid on Trevor Lawrence .
But the inconsistent season can be drawn to something he revealed during the final day of open locker room.
Armstead plans to play inside next year, says it was his plan to play inside this season
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) runs past Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Arik Armstead (91) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Browns defeated the Jaguars 18-13. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Armstead served as Jacksonville's third edge rusher behind Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker . It was a move that he revealed he wasn't in favor of and plans to move back primarily inside next season.
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"I'm gonna move back inside next year. That's gonna be my plan. That was what I wanted to do this season as well, too," he said. "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."
The team said Armstead wanted to play outside when he joined Jacksonville, which is the opposite of what he told reporters.
Jul 24, 2024; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Arik Armstead (91) participates in training camp at Miller Electric Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
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Couple that with his recovery from injury that eliminated his offseason, it was a down year for the veteran lineman.
"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," he 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."
Armstead feels like the Jaguars have the pieces, confident in teammates to right the ship
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) is pressured by Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Arik Armstead (91) during the fourth quarter Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jets held off the Jaguars 32-25. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Armstead knows what a championship caliber team looks and feels like. He spent multiple years as a part of elite teams with the 49ers.
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While it'll be seen if Jacksonville can transform into one of those teams, Armstead is confident in the players around him.
"When you look at our roster, I think that's why I felt a little different, because I felt like we could win a lot of these games," he said. "And I felt that we can be a playoff team when you look at the talent that we have."
Defensively, the Jaguars will have several key pieces back next season. Hines-Allen and Walker still are seen as a top pass rushing duo. Hines-Allen will set his sights on the franchise record for sacks next year and Walker entered the top 10 in sacks for the club this season.
Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Travon Walker (44) with outside linebackers coach Bill Shuey, and linebacker Josh Hines-Allen (41) and Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Arik Armstead (91) late in the fourth day of the NFL football training camp practice session Saturday, July 27, 2024 at EverBank Stadium's Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla.
DaVon Hamilton will likely be back and start alongside Armstead inside. Rookie defensive lineman Maason Smith caught on late, logging three sacks in 11 games this season.
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He's a player who could be expected to take a leap with his first professional season under his belt and an offseason to recover.
And that's not even including cornerstone pieces of the defense like Foye Oluokun or Tyson Campbell .
"When I take the field and look at who I'm playing with, it's like, 'Oh, we can beat anybody.' But It has to all come together."
Armstead offers opinion on Jaguars head coaching search
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Arik Armstead (91) runs off the field before an NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars held off the Titans 20-13. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Armstead was asked for his thoughts on Jacksonville's coaching search. He quipped that it was "above his paygrade" but offered an insightful answer afterward.
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"I want to play for someone who, you know, loves football and, you know, wants to see you win and be successful, cares about his players. Can build a brotherhood amongst all of us," he said. "And you know, someone to look towards and gravitate towards. In adverse situations, be a great leader. Those are type of things now that I look for."
Former head coach Doug Pederson had some of those qualities. It's apparent by the reaction from players after his firing. Many of them owned their part in his dismissal, including Lawrence .
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Even in one season of playing for Pederson, Armstead called him a "great person, a great man, [and] great coach." But he also acknowledged it's something that tends to happen when things don't go well.
Moving forward, Armstead feels hopeful about the future of the team. And he's ready to do his part to ensure it happens.
"I think there's a lot of lot of promising things to look forward to," he said. Jacksonville deserves a winning team and we're going to try to do everything we can to provide that. It's a lot of work that needs to be done."
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Why Arik Armstead's 2024 with Jacksonville Jaguars was doomed from start
