Surgeon believes prognosis is ‘very good’ for Armstead
On Dec. 3, on the second play of the San Francisco 49ers’ 42-19 win over the Eagles, defensive tackle Arik Armstead limped back to the huddle after engaging with Philadelphia right guard Cam Jurgens on a 1-yard gain by running back D’Andre Swift.
Armstead stayed in the game. But that snap marked the start of a journey that doesn’t figure to end until deep into this offseason.
Armstead, 30, revealed last month that he suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee against the Eagles and would require surgery for the injury that sidelined him for the final five weeks of the regular season before he returned to play in the 49ers’ three postseason games.
On Feb. 13, two days after the 49ers’ 25-22 overtime loss to Kansas City in Super Bowl LVIII, the four-time team captain agreed when asked if he will require a more “involved” meniscus procedure. He said his recovery could extend into at least late July when the 49ers report for training camp.
“It’s going to be a little time,” Armstead said. “The time window should be around then — for training camp. We’ll see how it goes.”
Based on Armstead’s outlook, it’s very likely he required a meniscus repair, which, for those with meniscus injuries, is a less common procedure that results in a longer recovery. That’s the assessment of Dr. Clint Soppe, an orthopedic surgeon who is a consultant for the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer.
Soppe said with repairs, which are usually performed arthroscopically, the damaged tissue is mended with stitches and that tissue needs about three months to heal. The recovery timeline for a repair is often 4-6 months. That contrasts with a partial menisectomy, a cleanup procedure in which a portion of the meniscus can be trimmed to restore function. Athletes who have such a surgery are typically back at full strength in 6-8 weeks.
Regardless of which procedure is performed, however, athletes usually can return and perform at a pre-injury level.
“The prognosis typically is still very good,” said Soppe, who practices at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles. “It’s just that one typically takes longer to recover from than the other.”
The meniscus is a pad of cartilage often described as having the function of a shock absorber because it decreases the load on the knee joint.
Armstead’s offseason recovery is particularly relevant for the 49ers. Armstead, Pro Bowl defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and All-Pro edge rusher Nick Bosa accounted for 22 1⁄2 of the team’s 48 sacks last season and are the leaders of a front four that is filled with question marks beyond them. The 49ers have six defensive linemen scheduled to be unrestricted free agents.
The 49ers’ lack of interior depth helps explain why Armstead received such a large workload during the postseason despite being compromised by his injury. Armstead played 70% of their snaps (152 of 218).
“It was different,” Armstead said. “I wasn’t really (completely) myself, but I was glad to be out here and contribute in some way. … I wouldn’t have missed this run for anything. I’m glad I was able to get back and help my team get to the Super Bowl and try to win one.”
Another interview: The 49ers interviewed Raiders safeties coach Gerald Alexander, 39, for their defensive-coordinator opening Friday, a league source said.
Alexander is a former NFL safety who joined the Raiders in January after serving as the Steelers’ assistant defensive backs coach (2022-2023) and Dolphins’ defensive backs coach (2020-2021). He was Cal’s defensive backs coach from 2017 through 2019.
Alexander and 49ers defensive backs coach Daniel Bullocks were teammates on the Lions in 2007 and ’08.