Arik Armstead, a defensive lineman for the San Francisco 49ers, suffered a knee injury during the postseason and stated on Tuesday that he will need offseason surgery.
Armstead told reporters that he suffered a right meniscus injury in Week 13 of the 49ers’ 42-19 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles on December 3, forcing him to miss the last five regular-season games. He was included on the pre-Super Bowl injury report for foot and knee issues.
Armstead stated his knee would require surgery in the following days. His goal is to return healthy around training camp. Niners general manager John Lynch later confirmed on Tuesday that defensive lineman Javon Hargrave finished the season with a ruptured thumb ligament.
Armstead returned to start all three postseason games, recording 11 tackles, one sack, and one fumble recovery while playing 152 of a possible 218 defensive snaps (69).
Even though the Niners lost, Amstead’s one sack came at a key moment in Super Bowl LVIII. He sacked Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes on third down at the San Francisco 9-yard line in the final stages of the first half, with the 49ers up 10-0. Following the sack, the Chiefs went for a field goal, narrowing the score to 10-3.
In the 49ers’ NFC Championship Game victory over the Lions, Armstead made another game-changing play by recovering Jahmyr Gibbs’ fumble, launching San Francisco’s comeback into high speed.
The 49ers tied the game with a touchdown four plays following the turnover and eventually defeated the Lions.
