Arik Armstead’s best-ever 49ers teammate didn’t need long to make an impression upon him.
The defensive end said Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Aldon Smith was the best NFL player he has played with when asked in an interview on NBC Sports’ “Chris Simms Unbuttoned” podcast Monday.
"The best player I've ever seen on a football field,” Armstead told Simms of Smith. “It was only for a week during my rookie year in training camp, and that was Aldon Smith. Hands-down the best football player I've ever seen in live-action. Just unblockable."
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Smith recorded 44.0 sacks in 50 games with the 49ers from 2011 through 2014, ranking eighth in the NFL during that span. His 19.5 sacks in 2012 remain a San Francisco record.
The 49ers released Smith on Aug. 7, 2015, fewer than four months after selecting Armstead No. 17 overall in the draft and a day after Smith’s third DUI arrest. Smith landed with the Raiders soon after, playing nine games before the NFL suspended him for a year -- and later indefinitely -- for violating the league’s personal-conduct and substance-abuse policy.
[RELATED: How Aldon Smith's 49ers connections helped him pick Cowboys]
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The Raiders ultimately released Smith, too. The Silver and Black cut him in 2018 after San Francisco police sought him following allegations of domestic violence. Smith later pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor charges from the incident. He has not played in the NFL since 2015 and will sign a one-year contract with the Cowboys once the league lifts his suspension.
Armstead could get a closer glimpse at his former teammate this season, assuming Smith is reinstated and the NFL plays games in 2020 in the wake of the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The 49ers are set to play the Cowboys in Dallas this season.