Keion White Poised For Timely Return To 49ers' Revamped D-line After Shooting

Keion White poised for timely return to 49ers' revamped D-line after shooting originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The 49ers’ defensive line has a chance to bounce back in 2026 with the return of Keion White to the group. 

The defensive lineman, who was involved in a shooting incident in San Francisco during Super Bowl week, is looking set for a timely return. White has been working with DSA Training in Georgia, which posted a video montage of his rehabilitation process. 

White had successful ankle surgery following the February incident and is shown in the video doing squats as well as several upper body and core exercises. During the NFL Annual Meeting, general manager John Lynch shared the lineman was on schedule to be ready for training camp. 

The 49ers traded with the New England Patriots for White before the NFL’s 2025 deadline after Week 7. The former second-round draft pick only registered 1.5 quarterback sacks after his arrival in the Bay Area, potentially needing more time to adjust to his role and what defensive line coach Kris Kocurek was asking for. 

White was most productive in 2024 when he registered five sacks, 56 tackles — 31 solo — five pass breakups and two forced fumbles in New England. The 49ers are hoping that with more time in their system, the Georgia Tech product will return to that efficiency. 

Lynch and the front office added a lot of fire power to the defensive line this offseason after a dismal 20-sack performance in 2025. White will return to the field with Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams, who both are recovering from season-ending ACL injuries, as well as Alfred Collins, who had offseason shoulder surgery. 

The 49ers used their second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to select Romello Height from Texas Tech, who has had solid production as a situational pass-rusher on the outside. They also added defensive tackle Gracen Halton out of Oklahoma to solidify the interior, and traded a third-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys for standout defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa earlier in the offseason.

Undrafted free agents Bryson Eason from Tennessee, James Thompson from Illinois and Indiana’s Mikail Kamara will compete for roster spots during the build up to the start of the 2026 NFL season, where White will look to return to his 2024 production. 

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