Armstead: ‘I’m mad’ over Pro Bowl snub
Attention NFL quarterbacks: Arik Armstead is even angrier.
On Wednesday, a day after he wasn’t voted to the Pro Bowl despite ranking ninth in the NFL with 10 sacks, the 49ers’ defensive lineman didn’t shrug off what he clearly viewed as a snubbing.
“I’m mad,” Armstead said. “I’m mad, definitely. It’s something you dream about getting. You work hard for it and you feel like you deserve it. And you don’t get it. It’s beyond my understanding.”
Armstead, who is a Pro Bowl alternate, has played both defensive end and defensive tackle this season. He was listed on the Pro Bowl ballot as a defensive tackle. The interior linemen voted to the NFC’s Pro Bowl roster were the Rams’ Aaron Donald (11 sacks), the Eagles’
Fletcher Cox (3.5) and the Falcons’ Grady Jarrett (5.5).
“I obviously have a lot more to prove if people don’t see me as one of the best defensive linemen in this league,” Armstead said.
The Pro Bowl voting is done by fans, players and coaches, with each counting for onethird of the vote.
“It’s a little extra motivation, I guess, for sure,” Armstead said. “You want that respect from the coaches and your peers. So I guess I’ve got a little more to prove.”
Despite their 113 record, the 49ers had just four players voted to the Pro Bowl: tight end George Kittle, cornerback Richard Sherman, edge rusher Nick Bosa and fullback Kyle Juszczyk.
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh noted the lack of representation was partly based on the 49ers’ 1236 record over the previous three seasons and their lack of established players. Before 2019, Armstead had nine sacks in his first four seasons.
“Sometimes that Pro Bowl thing can be a popularity vote,” Saleh said. “… We’re a young team that hasn’t done a lot over the past few years. And we’ve got an opportunity in front of us to do something about it. And really cement our names in the history of the league, if you want to say it that way.”
Injury report: Ten days after suffering a Grade 2 hamstring strain, Sherman was a full participant in practice for the second straight day.
Sherman, who missed Sunday’s loss to the Falcons, said he’d return against the Rams on Saturday at Levi’s Stadium.
“I’ll be out there on Saturday,” Sherman said. “There’s no question. There’s nothing I need to show (the training staff ). I’ve gone through practice. Today we had a fullspeed practice and there were no tweaks. Nothing to be concerned about on my end.”
In other injury news, strong safety Jaquiski Tartt (ribs) remained sidelined. Tartt hasn’t practiced since he was injured in a loss at Baltimore on Dec. 1.