The writing was on the wall – and now a former second-round pick is leaving New England.
According to a source, the Patriots are trading Keion White and a 2026 seventh-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2026 sixth round selection. White, 26, entered the season as a potential starter in Mike Vrabel’s defense. Instead, he fell down the depth chart. Now, he’s headed elsewhere.
On Sunday, White was a healthy scratch in the Patriots win over Cleveland. It marked the first time he was a healthy scratch this season. The third-year edge rusher played in five of eight games for the Patriots this season. He made six tackles.
With the NFL trading deadline approaching, on Nov. 4, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Patriots try and add another veteran edge rusher.
The 46th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, White showed potential as an edge rusher. Last season, he started 13 of 17 games, finishing with five sacks, 16 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles, and 56 tackles.
Those numbers made him the favorite to start opposite of veteran Harold Landry. Instead, he was passed on the depth chart by K’Lavon Chaisson, who’s having one of the best seasons of his NFL career.
At the end of training camp, White was asked about his demotion.
“As long as I have a job, I like the fact that I have one,” he told MassLive. “I could care less. They could put me at corner. If they’re going to pay me, I’ll play it.”
As this season went on, White received inconsistent playing time. He started the season playing 46% of the team’s defensive snaps in Week 1 and then missed the next game due to an illness. It’s not known what White was dealing with as he declined to talk to the media in New England.
The defensive end’s snap count peaked in Week 3 when he played 60.9% of the snaps against Carolina. He started the next week against Buffalo with Chaisson out, but played 33.8% of the snaps. White missed the team’s win in New Orleans due to an elbow injury and then played 30.2% of the snaps in Tennessee.
Last weekend, however, it was clear that White could be on his way out. The second-round pick was a healthy scratch for the first time in his NFL career. The Patriots opted for Anfernee Jennings and Elijah Ponder as their backup edge rushers against Cleveland.
Two days later, White’s time in New England was over.
The NFL Network was the first to report the news of White’s trade.
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