49ers release defensive tackle Arik Armstead

Armstead was first drafted by the team in 2015 and has spent the last nine years with them.

Over the last nine years, Armstead appeared in 116 games – starting in 97 – and made 302 tackles and 33.5 sacks. He started in all 12 of his playoff appearances and his eight sacks in the postseason are the second-most in franchise history.

What the announcement doesn’t address is the reason for the team cutting its longest-tenured play. A person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press it was a salary cap move.

Armstead was due to have a $17.4 million base salary and $28.4 million salary cap charge this season, leading the cap-strapped 49ers to make the move. Armstead will still carry a $25.9 million dead cap charge and the Niners will likely designate him a post-June 1 release. San Francisco will carry the entire cap charge until June, but can then delay $15.5 million of the charge until 2025. That will open up $18 million in cap room for this season.

Armstead will now hit the open market.