SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Long before the San Francisco 49ers demolished the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 24, defensive lineman Arik Armstead was well on his way to a breakout season.
That night, during the Niners' first Sunday Night Football appearance since 2015, Armstead let the country see what he can do when healthy, surrounded by talented linemates and let loose in coordinator Robert Saleh's attacking scheme.
By the time Armstead was finished wrecking the Packers' offensive line and harassing quarterback Aaron Rodgers, he had five tackles, two sacks and two quarterback pressures. It was a performance so dominant cornerback Richard Sherman was left making noises in his postgame news conference when asked what awaits Armstead this offseason.
"The Brinks truck is going to back up for him," Sherman said. "Beep, beep, beep."
Through 14 weeks, it's Armstead -- not Nick Bosa, Dee Ford or DeForest Buckner -- who leads the 49ers in sacks with 10, one more than he had in his first 46 career games.
Armstead is also one of the "most violent" linemen in the league and the "glue" that holds the line together, according to Saleh. Armstead's considered one of the best run-defenders among edge players in the league, posting 49 tackles, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a batted pass.
Making that production more impressive is that Armstead has gotten it done both inside and out. He's one of seven players with double-digit pass-rush wins from the edge and the interior, placing him in the company of Aaron Donald and J.J. Watt, among others.
Suffice to say, at 6-foot-7, 290-pound, Armstead is putting together his best NFL season at the right time for him and the 11-win Niners.
"He's a problem as a player is what he is," Ford said. "He's a big problem, literally. He can rush inside, he can rush outside. He can play the run inside, he can play the run outside. He's just dangerous. He's great with his hands. He's powerful. He's fast. It's a joy to play with him."
While the additions of Bosa and Ford have undoubtedly made it easier for Armstead, the opposite is true, too. Opponents must pick their poison when facing the Niners' defense, leaving someone to rush one-on-one on nearly every play. Armstead has been double-teamed more than any of his teammates, save Buckner.
According to Niners coach Kyle Shanahan, the additional talent surrounding Armstead hasn't been as important to his emergence as it has been for another offseason addition: defensive line coach Kris Kocurek. Kocurek and Saleh have installed more "Wide 9" concepts, allowing Armstead to move around and be more assertive getting after quarterbacks.
"It's benefited all of them, but probably him the most, just in terms of never having to kind of read and react," Shanahan said. "Just being aggressive every play, going right at the quarterback, reacting to run. With his length and size, just allowing him to be a little bit more decisive, and the rest has been him. He's had no hesitation, and he's stayed healthy."
When Armstead was a rookie in 2015, his best friend, Akachi Okugo, helped him come up with his signature sack celebration. After dropping the quarterback, Armstead stands up, marches forward and begins rubbing his belly. The message is one that would complement The Most Interesting Man in the World quite well: stay hungry.
"'Stay hungry' just simply means I made a big play, but I want more," Armstead said. "I'm not satisfied. I want it all, so continue to stay hungry, never be satisfied and always stay attacking, on the grind."
That mindset has helped Armstead move past the maddening injuries that slowed him in recent seasons and develop into a better leader.
"Regardless of what’s asked of him, he goes out there and does an amazing, outstanding job," Sherman said. "That's leadership. Not complaining, not saying, 'Man, why am I not playing in this role?' He just goes out there and puts his hard hat on and goes to work. That's why you're appreciative that he's having a great season -- because he deserves it. He's put in the work, he puts in the time, he makes the sacrifice, and he deserves everything he's getting."
The question the Niners and Armstead will face after the season is how much he will get. He has played this season on the fifth-year option, at more than $9 million as the No. 17 pick in the 2015 draft. He will almost certainly exceed that total on a per year basis with his next deal.
Re-signing Armstead figures to be a priority for the Niners, but it will be complicated by the pending free agency of receiver Emmanuel Sanders and free safety Jimmie Ward, as well as possible extensions for Sherman, Buckner and tight end George Kittle. Retaining all of them is possible but would take some salary-cap gymnastics.
For now, Armstead isn't thinking about the offseason. Instead, he is focusing on controlling what he can control. But does say he'd like to continue playing in the only NFL home he has known, especially one that isn't far from his hometown of Sacramento.
"I love it here," Armstead said. "I've been here my whole career. I can't even imagine myself playing anywhere else really. I'm a Northern California guy through and through, and to be a part of kind of the down times here and be a part of going through the adversity and then being part of this season, I wouldn't change that for anything."
