Mindy Armstead discussed her family's reactions to Super Bowl losses and the influence of fatherhood on her husband, Arik Armstead, in a podcast interview on June 25, 2026. She described the deep grief experienced after losses, balancing it with the perspective brought by family life.

Mindy Armstead, a dual-boarded psychiatrist, stated that the lows for her family involve not winning. After the first Super Bowl loss, a 31-20 defeat to the Chiefs in February 2020, she recalled her husband watching film for days. The San Francisco 49ers, Arik Armstead's former team, lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in both the 2020 and 2024 Super Bowls.

"I'm in grief. I'm in deep grief, for a while I'm in grief... but knowing that these guys did their best, it's enough for me and hopefully enough for them," Mindy Armstead said. She told him, "Football is what you do, it's not who you are. You have so many layers outside of football, with what he does with our non-profit [the Armstead Academic Project], the community, our kids, friends, his family and my family."

She noted a shift in Arik Armstead's reaction to losses after having children. "I think for him it was harder, interestingly enough, when he didn't have kids. He would be a bit of a curmudgeon," she said. She described telling him, "Yeah, this sucks. I know this doesn't feel good. Is there anything you need? How's your body feeling? Do you want me to take the kids to bed? Or whatever it might be to try to cover for him so he can get that rest."

Arik Armstead, who is 32 years old, and Mindy Armstead, 37, were married in 2020 and have three children: Amiri, 5, Ayla, 3, and Audemar Kristian, 15 months. They are expecting their fourth child in November. The couple also operates a non-profit organization, the Armstead Academic Project.

Armstead observed that with children, their needs are constant. "But with kids, their needs don't stop. So yeah, he played in the Super Bowl, but then he has to be a dad. They need dinner, they need to be put down. We're back home, they've got to go to school, or camp, or we're going on vacation... whatever it is," she said. She added, "So I think he's able to jump out of it a little bit sooner because there's more perspective, like, 'My family needs me now. I've got to step into this other role.' So there's this grief aspect, but he can recognize how blessed he is in other areas. So I think it makes it easier."

Despite the grief of losses, Armstead reflected on positive memories. "The high and probably one of my best NFL memories is 2023 when we won the NFC Championship with the Niners because the girls were there. They got to rush the field and all that confetti," she said. The San Francisco 49ers won the NFC Championship in 2023.

"They got to really see where Dad goes, what he's doing, why he's away from them and really cheer him on, be there. They understood the win, got to go into the locker room... it was just really fun to see," Armstead said. Arik Armstead, a defensive end, was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft and played nine seasons with the team before joining the Jacksonville Jaguars in March 2024.