Arik Armstead’s new contract raises the bar for Jadeveon Clowney’s payday

Curse you, Niners.

The San Francisco 49ers signed standout defensive lineman Arik Armstead to a massive five-year extension on Monday morning.

That’s a $17 million per year average, which is very bad news for those who had hoped Jadeveon Clowney could be had for something in that range, or potentially slightly higher at $18 million.

Armstead is quite good, but he is both interior line, and not as good as Clowney. Jadeveon seems unlikely to be interested in a paltry tick above Armstead, and this either raises or confirms the high bar for Clowney’s upcoming contract, depending on which camp you were in.

One caveat, the contract is for a maximum of $85 million, and the details on guarantees have yet to be released. However, all signs so far point to nearly every position seeing insane dollars thrown at players who are not even the top at their position. With the Miami Dolphins giving Erick Flowers $10 million per year already, it’s not a stretch to imagine Seahawks like Germain Ifedi and George Fant clear that number. As for Clowney, with the pass rush market drying up and money being given out left and right, $20 million per season for Clowney is all of a sudden not unreasonable.

The time is now, Seahawk fans. Is he worth it, or do you, like the 2014 team, pass?