​Arik Armstead has spent 12 NFL seasons under five different head coaches, and he has made a subtle claim about why his most productive years, both personally and collectively, occurred during his time with the San Francisco 49ers from 2017 through 2023. Those years, he noted, were anchored by Kyle Shanahan’s steady leadership, and he believes that the secret to that stretch was not individual talent alone but the consistency of the coaching staff that allowed a winning culture to take root and develop. Armstead expressed a hope that the Jacksonville Jaguars can cultivate a similar stability in the coach K. Shanahan era in his own career path, this time under head coach Doug Pederson’s replacement and, more immediately, with the second season under offensive coordinator Liam Coen and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile.
In an interview conducted for radio, Armstead highlighted the value of continuity within a team’s coaching staff. He spoke on July 7 during an appearance on “Players Point,” a Sirius XM NFL channel program hosted by Carolina Panthers long snapper J.J. Jansen. The Jaguars defensive lineman emphasized that staying with the same system and the same coaching personalities would allow players to accumulate time together, avoid constantly relearning schemes, and develop deeper familiarity with what coaches expect from them. “To be able to accrue time together, not have to learn a new scheme and learn new people. So going into year two, it’s an opportunity to take another huge step and switch from learning the scheme … learning what the coaches want to now. I can actually master what the scheme is and master my responsibilities,” Armstead said.
Armstead’s career in San Francisco began with a rough start. He played three different coaches during his first three seasons with the 49ers. The team went 5-11 in his rookie year under Jim Tomsula in 2015 and then 2-14 in 2016 under Chip Kelly. In 2017, the 49ers hired Kyle Shanahan, and while ownership and management exhibited patience through 2015’s and 2016’s struggles, the franchise began to reap the benefits in 2019 with a 13-3 record, an NFC Championship, and a climb to the Super Bowl, where they faced Kansas City in both 2019 and 2020 seasons. Armstead was part of four playoff appearances in five years with the 49ers during that era, including two NFC titles and two trips to the Super Bowl (both losses to Kansas City).
Armstead’s tenure with Jacksonville began when he joined the Jaguars in 2024 after a season with Doug Pederson as coach. The move came with the hope that Coen’s offense—paired with Campanile’s defense—could turn around a franchise that had endured a rough year prior. In 2024, Armstead recorded five sacks, seven tackles for loss, and eight quarterback hits as the Jaguars saw a change in fortune with Coen at the helm. The following year, Armstead’s contributions helped the Jaguars post a 13-4 record and win the AFC South title, a noteworthy turnaround that underscored how important coaching stability and a unified approach can be to a team’s success.
Armstead has often spoken about the NFL’s perennial challenge: keep learning while forgetting last season’s outcomes. He stressed the importance of maintaining a short memory while recognizing what works, a balance that can be difficult to sustain in a league where a team’s fortunes can change quickly. “We had a great season last year … last year doesn’t really mean anything,” he said. “You’ve got to start over, and you can’t rest on what you did. There’s going to be some teams this year that get a lot better. There’s going to be some teams that get a lot worse.” The crux, he added, is determining the next step for the team after achieving a 13-4 record: how to become better as a football team, not merely to chase another win-loss tally.
Looking ahead, Armstead suggested that a more demanding schedule could still enable the Jaguars to be a playoff contender, even if the exact record from last season isn’t repeated. He made clear that the goal isn’t simply to post a better scorecard but to evolve into a more complete and sharper football team. “I don’t think that next step is a better record, per se,” he explained. “But being a better football team. The ball bounces your way sometimes, [and] sometimes it doesn’t. But how can we be better versions of ourselves in year two?” Armstead’s perspective reflects a broader NFL truth: stability in coaching philosophy and a clear, consistent message from leadership can foster growth, cohesion, and a winning culture that translates to on-field performance.
As Armstead continues into his third season with the Jaguars, his emphasis on coaching consistency and a mature understanding of the scheme underscores a broader commitment to sustained improvement. He believes that by continuing to align with Coen’s system and Campanile’s defensive framework, Jacksonville can build on last year’s success and take another meaningful step forward. The experience of his earlier career has taught him that a stable coaching environment can be a powerful catalyst for players to master their responsibilities, refine their craft, and contribute to a culture that wins over time.