Sportsnaut
The New England Patriots are in the midst of an exciting season as they sit at 6-2 heading into Week 9. The team is also in first place in the AFC East, so you’d think they’d be adding to the roster, not trading pieces away, right?
Well, the Patriots could still add before the deadline, but they are making some moves today. NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported on Tuesday that the Patriots are trading edge-rusher Keion White and a 2026 7th-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2026 6th-round pick.
Trade! The Patriots are sending DE Keion White to the 49ers, per sources.
New England gets a 2026 6th-round pick for a 2026 7th-rounder and White, who had five sacks last season. pic.twitter.com/xdSFnyUJFw
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 28, 2025
White was a member of Bill Belichick’s final draft class in 2023. The team selected White in the 2nd round out of Georgia Tech, but he hasn’t quite lived up to that draft status yet.
As a rookie, White played in 16 games and collected 26 tackles, three tackles for loss, and one sack. In 2024, the defender played in all 17 games and ended with 56 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and five sacks.
However, with Mike Vrabel and his staff taking over this offseason, it seems like White fell on the back burner. The team brought in Harold Landry III and K’Lavon Chaisson this offseason, taking snaps away from White. Now, the former second-round pick will get a chance to revive his career in San Francisco.
The 49ers need reinforcements on the edge, so it seems like a great landing spot. The 49ers have Nick Bosa and Tarron Jackson on injured reserve, while Sam Okuayinonu and Yetur Gross-Matos also currently deal with injuries.
Meanwhile, the Patriots move up a round late in the 2026 draft and clear up snaps for younger players like Caleb Murphy and Elijah Ponder. It’s also possible the Patriots add a bigger-name veteran pass-rusher in another trade before the deadline. Either way, it’s nice to get something back for a player who clearly wasn’t in the long-term plans.
More must-reads:
