Patriots trade Keion White to 49ers for 2026 sixth-round pick

The New England Patriots traded defensive end Keion White to the San Francisco 49ers late Tuesday, sending White and a 2026 seventh-round draft pick to San Francisco in exchange for the 49ers 2026 sixth-round selection, the team announced. The move was finalized ahead of the NFL trade deadline and frees roughly one million dollars in salary cap space for New England.

White, 26, a second-round pick by the Patriots in 2023, played five games this season with one start and recorded six tackles. He logged 123 defensive snaps and 43 special-teams snaps in 2025 before being designated a healthy scratch for Sunday’s win over Cleveland. Across his two-plus seasons in New England, White appeared in 38 games with 18 starts and compiled career totals that include multiple tackles for loss, quarterback hits and six sacks.

Once projected as a potential starter in coach Mike Vrabel’s defense, White’s role diminished this season amid competition for snaps on the defensive line. New England has relied primarily on Harold Landry III and KLavon Chaisson as its leading edge rushers, while rotational players including Anfernee Jennings, Elijah Ponder and Caleb Murphy have filled backup duties....