Keion White ponders future with Patriots, feels ‘something’s gotta change’ amid disappointing season
White has only recorded one sack after getting four in the first two games.
Keion White isn’t feeling content with his play and is questioning his future with the Patriots.
In an interview with MassLive’s Karen Guregian, the second-year defensive end admitted that he’s “trying to get through” the Patriots’ last two games before figuring out where “the cards may lie for my future.”
“Just in general. In terms of everything,” White told Guregian when asked if he was speaking about his future with the team or something different. “I mean, anything is possible. It’s the NFL. Anything can happen year to year. It’s a production-based business. It is what it is. You just figure out where you go … something’s gotta change. That’s the way I feel at this point.”
What was once a promising season for White, 2024 has been a bit of an underwhelming year for the 2023 second-round pick. He had 2.5 sacks in New England’s season-opening win over the Bengals, earning praise from his former head coach. He followed that up with 1.5 sacks in their Week 2 loss against the Seahawks.
In the 13 games he’s played since then, White’s recorded just one sack, which came in their Week 10 win over the Bears. He’s also only recorded eight pressures in the Patriots’ last five games.
But White took issue with another element of his game while emphasizing a desire for all-around improvement in his conversation with Guregian.
“It’s the honest truth. I operate in black and white. So if it is, it is. If it ain’t, it ain’t,” White told Guregian. “And I feel like I’m not playing good run defense. It’s a multitude of reasons why. It’s an internal thing we need to figure out.
“I don’t think it’s just one thing. I think it’s a lot of things. First and foremost, it’s me,” White added. “I need to improve me, and being on the same page with what the coaches want. But I think it’s a lot of other things as well. Without going too much into details, that’s how I feel.”
To White’s point, he’s only recorded one run stuff in the Patriots’ last five games. However, the Patriots’ defensive problems are beyond just White. They rank 22nd in yards against and 24th in scoring this season. They’re also 24th in rushing yards allowed, surrendering 130.4 yards on the ground per game.
Week 16 was one of the better games for the Patriots and their defense this season considering the opponent. They lost by three to a Bills team that recently defeated two of the top teams in the league, allowing 324 yards. Josh Allen, who is the favorite to win MVP, completed just 16 of 29 passes for 154 yards, a touchdown, and an interception to go with 30 rushing yards.
As the Patriots fell to 3-12 on the season, though, White isn’t taking any solace in nearly beating one of the NFL’s best teams.
“I personally don’t take consolation prizes,” White told Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi in a separate interview. “I want to win. So that’s just how I feel about it.”
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com