Arik Armstead will have surgery after playing through a torn meniscus he suffered against the Eagles

According to multiple beat reporters, San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Arik Armstead will have surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. Armstead said he tore his meniscus in Week 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Armstead missed the rest of the regular season before returning for the playoffs. Having multiple bye weeks likely helped Armstead play in each game. He told reporters that he didn’t believe he’d be able to play in the playoffs.

Armstead’s surgery will take place in the coming days, and he hopes to return and be ready right around training camp. That means he’ll miss most, if not all, of the offseason.

Armstead being out may make it easier for the Niners to re-sign the likes of Javon Kinlaw or Kevin Givens, two backup defensive tackles scheduled to be unrestricted free agents this offseason.

Rehab time for a meniscus is anywhere between 3 to 6 months. It’s a relatively common injury. The two most recent examples we have from prominent players who suffered the same injury were Von Miller of the Buffalo Bills and Jalen Ramsey of the Miami Dolphins.

Miller, 34, did not look the same after his injury. But that was also after multiple injuries. So, it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison.

Ramsey, 29, suffered his torn meniscus at the end of July. He was expected to miss most of the season and be out until December, but he returned in Week 8 on October 29. And he didn’t miss a beat, having an interception in his first game back. So there are two examples, with one player looking like a shell of himself and the other returning early and returning to form instantly.

Training camp is about 5.5 months from now.