The San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots aren’t waiting until the trade deadline to make a move.
According to multiple NFL insiders, the Patriots are sending defensive end Keion White and a 2026 seventh-round pick to the 49ers for a 2026 sixth-round pick. He was behind Harold Landry on the depth chart in New England.
White, a former second-round pick from Georgia Tech, had 56 tackles and five sacks during the 2024 season. In five games this season, he has just six tackles.
It’s fair to say White just wasn’t a great scheme fit for the Patriots. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll be a difference-maker for the 49ers. They sure need help in the trenches after losing Nick Bosa to a torn ACL.
Could the 49ers make another move?
A few weeks ago, 49ers general manager John Lynch talked about getting pass-rush help.
“We’ll see. I’m having a lot of conversations – a lot of good and productive ones,” Lynch said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “It is a premium position, so teams don’t like just letting those guys out the door when they’re good football players. So you have to identify the right guy who’s going to help us. I’ve been very clear: you’re not going to find a player that’s going to go replace Nick Bosa and be as effective as him. That’s really difficult to do. But can you find someone who makes the entirety of our group better? That’s more in line with what we’re looking for.”
White certainly helps the 49ers, but he’s not exactly going to replace Bosa. One player who could potentially do that is Trey Hendrickson. However, there’s no guarantee the Cincinnati Bengals are willing to move him.
We’ll see if the front office in San Francisco adds another pass rusher to its rotation for the second half of the season.
