The San Francisco 49ers appear ready to substitute defensive end Arik Armstead with free agent Jordan Elliott, whose agreement with the team was confirmed by his agent on Tuesday.
San Francisco requested that Armstead reduce his salary of $17.4 million for 2024, but he declined. According to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, the 49ers intend to release Armstead due to his decision.
The 49ers have agreed to a two-year, $10 million contract with Elliott instead. Elliott, who spent four seasons with the Cleveland Browns, amassed 98 tackles, five sacks, 10 quarterback hits, and four pass deflections in 66 career games and 35 career starts.
The majority of Elliott’s sacks and tackles occurred over the last two seasons, during which he started 31 games. Elliott acknowledged that his career had a rough beginning, but he managed to reverse his fortunes.
“I had doubts,” Elliott told the Chronicle-Telegram’s Scott Petrak in November 2023. “I didn’t even know if I was even cut out for this, for the NFL. Just being real.”
Petrak wrote that Elliott attributed his success to the Browns for granting him such an extended opportunity. Initially signing a four-year, $4.5 million rookie contract with the team, he didn’t begin accumulating significant playing time until his third season in 2022, following just four starts in his initial two years.
“It wasn’t like it was just given to me. That’s something that I want to just reiterate. But it’s big-time,” Elliott said. “I worked hard to get to where I’m at right now. I’m not done yet. There’s a lot of growth left. So I’m going to just keep on moving forward, trying to get 1 percent better every day.”
Jordan ElliottL ‘I Didn’t Have the Motivation’
According to Petrak, Elliott confessed that his struggle stemmed from lack of motivation and infrequent workouts—only twice a week. However, he made a shift after 2021, adopting a rigorous five-day workout routine.
“I’ve definitely had self-awareness but I didn’t have the motivation,” Elliott said. “The lack of focus, the lack of attention to detail, just not being a pro.
“I was self-aware but I wasn’t self-aware to the point I wanted to improve. It’s taken me just till now to understand it,” he added.
In the 2020 NFL Draft, Cleveland selected Elliott from Missouri in the third round. He showcased his talent during a remarkable college career with the Tigers and Texas Longhorns, amassing 52 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and four pass deflections across three seasons in 26 career games.
Elliott’s path to college sparked some uncertainty as he initially committed to Baylor, Michigan, and Houston before eventually choosing the Longhorns. Prior to his collegiate career, he excelled at Westside High School, participating in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in 2016.
“That was part of that immaturity. That’s not me anymore,” Elliott told the Akron Beacon-Journal about his collegiate indecision in 2020. “When you wake up in the morning you hope you’re not the same person you were the day before. It’s all about growth. That’s just my mindset. That was just a small piece of the puzzle.”
