New Orleans Saints linebacker Deion Jones (45) walks on the field in the second half of an NFL preseason football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
New Orleans Saints linebacker Deion Jones (45) walks on the field in the second half of an NFL preseason football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
On the same day the San Francisco 49ers welcomed back their superstar running back from an ambiguous injury-related absence, they traded away a running back for some linebacker depth.
The 49ers dealt Zamir White on Sunday to the New Orleans Saints for 11th-year linebacker Deion Jones, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported.
White is entering his fifth year in the NFL, the first four with the Las Vegas Raiders. He had just rushed 12 times for 29 yards in the 49ers' 41-17 preseason win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday, and he was competing for a spot on the regular-season roster.
The unquestioned lead running back on the depth chart, Christian McCaffrey, returned to practice Sunday after missing two weeks with what the team described as "tightness" without saying where the tightness was. Two NFL insiders suggested the absence may have been connected to a contract dispute.
San Francisco 49ers running back Zamir White walks off the field after the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Santa Clara.
San Francisco 49ers running back Zamir White walks off the field after the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Santa Clara.
Jones, 31, has played for 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris before, when both were with the Atlanta Falcons and Morris was their defensive coordinator in 2020. Jones played with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2025, playing in 17 games as a backup middle linebacker and making 29 tackles.
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Jones will get a chance to earn a spot with the 49ers in their final preseason game, Thursday against the Raiders.