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Keion White admits he wasn’t fit for Patriots’ scheme, while 49ers want to tap into ‘limitless potential’
The Patriots traded White and a seventh-round pick to the 49ers for a sixth-round pick.
Keion White’s time in New England didn’t end on the highest note, but he doesn’t seem to have any sour feelings toward the Patriots.
After getting traded to the 49ers on Tuesday, the former Patriots defensive end believed that he became expendable because he wasn’t a fit for the defensive scheme Mike Vrabel’s running in New England.
“No knock to the guys over there — they had a system where I was outside,” White told reporters. “I could’ve been better on the outside rushing and everything like that, and just roll with what I could’ve done better.”
White, who some predicted might have a breakout year in 2025, lost the training camp battle to K’Lavon Chaisson to be the Patriots’ other starting edge rusher along with veteran Harold Landry. He never seemed to gain any momentum toward making an impact this season after that, playing deep with the Patriots’ backups in their preseason finale while seeing his snaps decrease in recent weeks.
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Following a 16-snap outing in the Patriots’ victory over the Titans in Week 7, White was a healthy scratch for the first time in his career in the Patriots’ Week 8 win over the Browns.
As White’s playing time diminished this year, he recorded just six total tackles and didn’t have a sack with New England this year. He also logged just three pressures, down from the 45 he had last season, per Pro Football Focus.
With the Patriots utilizing White as an edge rusher under Vrabel, he feels he’s better “rushing from the inside,” adding “that’s kind of what I feel like I do best.”
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White admitted that his drop in playing time led to some frustration on his end as a result.
“As a competitor, you always want to play as much as possible. If it was up to me I’d be on the field all 80 snaps, so it’s always going to be frustrating not being out there,” White said. “But you also got to understand that everything fits inside the scheme. And so, I was just trying to play my role.”
The Patriots’ decision to trade White officially marked the end of what was a once-promising tenure for the defensive end in New England. The 2023 second-round pick got out to a hot start to the 2024 season, logging four sacks in the Patriots’ first two games.
However, White only had one sack in New England’s final 13 games last season. He finished the year with 56 total tackles and two forced fumbles as well.
But White’s new team is optimistic about what he might be able to bring, even if the 49ers only gave up a sixth-round pick for him and a seventh-round pick.
“We think we can untap some of his limitless potential,” 49ers general manager John Lynch told reporters. “We’re excited about it.
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“He’s a really good player, but he doesn’t quite fit with what [the Patriots] were doing,” Lynch added. “So, he wasn’t playing as much this year, but our analytics liked him, and you bring it downstairs to our coaches and they’re huge fans.”
49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh praised White’s “ability to rush the passer on the inside,” believing he’s a fit for their defensive scheme. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, meanwhile, believes that White’s talent transcends schematic fits.
“He would have helped any team,” Shanahan said. “I thought he was a problem when we played against him last year. Really liked what he does on film, too. He can play D-end, and he can rush inside. So, versatile guy.”
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