San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Arik Armstead will miss his third straight game on Christmas Day due to knee and foot injuries, and head coach Kyle Shanahan provided a rather concerning update on the star this week.
“Yes, we’re concerned,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Saturday, via David Bonilla of 49ers Web Zone. “We do think he has a chance each week, but I’d say it’s a little more the foot than the knee, something that’s bothering for a little bit. I’m just hoping the pain will go down.”
Armstead battled through a similar injury last season, where he played in just nine games.
In 12 contests this year, Armstead has logged 27 tackles and five sacks. Armstead’s absence (along with Javon Hargrave’s) was made evident last week when the 49ers surrendered 234 rushing yards to the Arizona Cardinals.
San Francisco will be facing the NFL’s top rushing offense on Monday when they battle the Baltimore Ravens, so missing Armstead for that contest could be particularly troublesome. The Ravens are averaging 163.8 rushing yards per game in 2023.
Armstead, who played his collegiate football at the University of Oregon, was selected by the Niners with the 17th overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft.
While the 30-year-old has never made a Pro Bowl, he has remained a rather solid presence along the 49ers’ defensive line when he has been healthy. His best season came in 2019, when he racked up 54 tackles, 10 sacks, a couple of forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Between 2018 and 2021, Armstead played in every game. However, he appeared in just 12 contests between 2016 and 2017, and this weekend will be the 11th game he has missed over the last two years.
The 49ers have won six games in a row and are 11-3 on the year, representing the best record in the NFC. Meanwhile, the Ravens are 11-3 themselves and own the best mark in the AFC, so this matchup will constitute a potential Super Bowl preview.
Hopefully for San Francisco, Arik Armstead can return at some point over the closing weeks of the regular season.
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