Defensive lineman Arik Armstead said the Houston Texans wanted to trade for him before his March release from the San Francisco 49ers.

"The Texans tried to trade for me, didn't even want me to become a free agent. I thought I was going there," Armstead said on Thursday's episode of his Third and Long podcast (h/t NBC Sports' Josh Alper). "Trade fell through. Boom, I end up hitting free agency."

The 49ers announced their release of Armstead on March 13 after he declined a cut to his 2024 base salary, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.

He signed a new contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars on March 15.

The Jaguars signed Armstead to a three-year deal worth up to $51 million, with $28 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Spotrac.

The Athletic's Matt Barrows reported the day of Armstead's release that the 49ers had a "player-for-player" deal in the works that would have dealt Armstead for Texans defensive tackle Maliek Collins.

According to Barrows, the deal "fell apart" on March 12 when the Texans agreed to a two-year deal with four-time Pro Bowl edge-rusher Danielle Hunter and decided not to make the move for Armstead.

The 49ers ended up sending a 2024 seventh-round pick to the Texans for Collins and released Armstead.

Armstead said on Third and Long that there were "a few other teams in the mix" to sign him in free agency, including the Buffalo Bills.

The decision of where to sign hinged on which defensive scheme he fit in best, Armstead said.

"Seeing where I best fit, seeing how teams wanted to use me scheme-wise, lot of conversations about me coming in and helping teams get over the hump," Armstead said.

In Jacksonville, Armstead will be playing under Ryan Nielsen, former defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons, in his first year with the Jaguars.

"It's tailor-made for defensive line," Armstead said about Nielsen's scheme last month, per John Oehser of Jaguars.com. "I feel I can play a multitude of roles in it—from lining up on the edge and playing the run to moving inside as a pass rusher. I'm excited to see how the plans are and how they plan on using me."

Armstead has missed 13 games combined over the last two seasons with foot and knee injuries. If he can stay healthy in 2024, he will have the chance to slot in as a key piece of Nielsen's defense.