Keion White will join a 49ers team that lost Nick Bosa to a torn ACL in Week 3. Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images
The San Francisco 49ers are acquiring defensive end Keion White from the New England Patriots, league sources said Tuesday, providing reinforcements to a pass rush decimated by injuries. The 49ers will send the Patriots a 2026 sixth-round pick and receive a 2026 seventh-round pick in return, sources said.
The Patriots drafted White, 26, in the second round in 2023. He got off to a sizzling start in 2024, posting four sacks in the first two games, but he had just two sacks in his other 36 games with the Patriots and has started only one game this season.
The 49ers, who are 5-3, lost defensive end Nick Bosa to a season-ending knee injury in Week 3 and are currently without pass-rush specialist Bryce Huff because of a hamstring injury.
Why the 49ers made the move
The 49ers desperately needed an edge rusher after Bosa went down with an ACL tear in Week 3 and other defensive ends got hurt soon thereafter. The team played Sunday against the Houston Texans without Bosa, Huff (hamstring) and Yetur Gross-Matos (hamstring), while Sam Okuayinonu left the contest with a sprained ankle. Not surprisingly, the Niners came away from that game with no sacks and just two quarterback hits while the Texans dominated the time of possession.
Furthermore, the Carolina Panthers swiped another defensive end, Trevis Gipson, off the 49ers’ practice squad on Tuesday. The team had leaned on Gipson heavily in recent contests, and he played 39 snaps in Houston.
At minimum, White gives the team another body at its thinnest position, especially as an edge rusher on passing downs. White also seems to have good upside. He’s only 26, he’s signed through the 2026 season on a reasonable contract and he had five sacks and 45 pressures as recently as last season.
This story will be updated
Oct 28, 2025
Connections: Sports Edition
Spot the pattern. Connect the terms
Find the hidden link between sports terms
Play today’s puzzle
