Arik Armstead's Super Bowl revelation highlights 49ers' offseason need

Arik Armstead and Javon Hargrave each had a big impact on Super Bowl 58, with their efforts in a losing cause made all the more impressive by the fact they each played through major injuries.

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch confirmed both fought through the pain in the Niners' heartbreaking 25-22 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Said Lynch at the 49ers' end of season press conference: "You’re always dealing with injuries. I think the thing that I have an immense amount of pride, you look at this defense, Arik Armstead, I think you guys learned today that he battled through with a torn meniscus, made a decision to play because he knew the opportunity. 

"Javon Hargrave had a similar decision with a torn thumb ligament and decided we had too rare of an opportunity."

Armstead, who missed the final five games of the regular season but returned for the playoffs, will undergo surgery on his knee injury.

Armstead had nine pressures in the Super Bowl, per Pro Football Focus, while Hargrave had six pressures and a quarterback sack.

But Armstead now faces a long recovery from surgery and, with Javon Kinlaw, Kevin Givens and Sebastian Joseph-Day all primed to enter unrestricted free agency, the injury to their longest-tenured player highlights the need to invest in interior defensive line in the offseason.

San Francisco has other issues. The offensive line is a clear area of concern and they could use better depth in the secondary, but with Armstead set to be coming off surgery and three members of their interior rotation potentially bound for new teams, the defensive side of the trenches must be an area of emphasis.