Aug 19, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead (91) during warmups before the start of the first quarter against the Denver Broncos at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
NFL: Preseason-Denver Broncos at San Francisco 49ers
(New York, NY) – It’s not always easy to handle the pressure and expectations that come with being a first round pick.
Just being among the 32 players picked in the first round of the NFL Draft brings with it additional scrutiny and focus. That kind of attention isn’t always desired. For New York Giants QB Daniel Jones, that may or may not be part of what he’s dealing with this season. Jones has failed to fully live up to his first round draft status, and now may be feeling the pressure in an effort to live up to his four-year $160 million contract. No matter the reason – Jones has struggled during the first quarter of the NFL season.
Those struggles have brought the routine haters and light weights out of the woodwork, including another former first round pick. Arik Armstead, not to be confused with Giants great Jesse Armstead, is a defensive end with the San Francisco 49ers.
Taken out of the University of Oregon, Armstead is likely very proud of his lone double digit sack season, when he recorded 10 in 2019. He’s decided to enter into the fray and take shots at Jones following the Giants blowout loss against the Seattle Seahawks. On X, formerly known as Twitter, Armstead openly mused why Jones wasn’t more willing to throw the ball deep when the Giants played the 49ers in Week 3. Armstead suggested Jones had gifted the Seahawks players a chance at “career” days and wondered why he wasn’t worthy.
Given Armstead failed to record a single sack in 9 games last year, and has yet to record one this year, it’s understandable why he’d be so upset at his own lack of production.
Being a first round pick who doesn’t put up gaudy numbers can be challenging. The pressure you feel from the media and such is frustrating. Oh wait – I was thinking about Daniel Jones again.
No one is worried about Arik Armstead or pressuring him to do more. He’s more just a piece within a tremendous San Francisco defense. But Arik Armstead wants more than that, so he went for the cheap heat route on X. Best of luck to him.
