Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner spent seven of the last eight years as teammates.
First, they lined up together for the University of Oregon from 2012 through 2014. The 49ers drafted Armstead in 2015, and the defensive-line duo was reunited in 2016 when San Francisco picked Buckner.
But on Monday, the partnership was broken up. Hours after Armstead agreed to a five-year contract extension with the 49ers, the team traded Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts for the No. 13 overall pick in this year's draft.
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"It was a crazy day, you know, super excited that he got that pay day," Armstead told NFL Media's Sam Wyche on Wednesday. "Wish it was with us, you know DeFo and I have been playing alongside each other for so many years now, so it was definitely a weird day. Mixed emotions. Super happy for him that he got that pay day and I know he's going to do great things out there, but definitely wish we were still playing together and continuing our careers together."
As for Armstead, the Sacramento native told Wyche his goal was to stay with the team that drafted him No. 17 overall in 2015.
"Man, it's amazing," Armstead said. "I really didn't want to be anywhere else. I'm from Sacramento. The 49ers drafted me five years ago, and going through the process, I never really imagined myself anywhere else, so it wasn't necessarily about the money for me. I wanted to be in San Fran and try to get back to the Super Bowl."
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[RELATED: Why 49ers traded Buckner, signed Armstead]
Who knows? Maybe Armstead's 49ers and Buckner's Colts will meet in Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Florida on Feb. 7, 2021.
