With Nick Bosa out for the season, the San Francisco 49ers moved quickly to bolster their pass rush, acquiring Keion White from the New England Patriots in a late-round pick swap. White showed promise with five sacks in 2024 and earned a strong pressure grade. Sitting at 5-3 and near the bottom of the league in sacks, the 49ers are betting that a change of scenery can help White rediscover that impactful form.
According to ESPN, the 49ers aren’t finished making moves. Despite holding a winning record, the team “needs help at every single level of the defense.” San Francisco is aware that it’s in the latter stages of its championship window, with several core veterans still on the roster. While there’s no single acquisition that can replace stars like Bosa or Fred Warner, the team has been “calling around about pass-rush help” and is expected to do “something beyond what they’ve already done.”
The same ESPN report also highlighted other teams’ activities. The Pittsburgh Steelers remain aggressive after trading for Patriots safety Kyle Dugger and are actively exploring options in the receiver market. If a deal for Jakobi Meyers doesn’t come together, the Steelers might pivot to a speed receiver like Rashid Shaheed.
Back in San Francisco, the window-oriented approach remains clear. General Manager John Lynch and Head Coach Kyle Shanahan have a track record of being active at the trade deadline. Current roster considerations suggest the 49ers will focus on layered depth moves rather than pursuing a single blockbuster trade.
Keion White represents the first step in that direction. The 49ers are likely seeking a complementary pass rusher, a coverage-capable linebacker, or a rotational cornerback to further stabilize a defense that has leaned heavily on scheme to compensate for Bosa’s absence. Financial considerations are also part of the calculus — low-cost, high-upside acquisitions such as expiring contracts or underused younger players make the most sense. This strategy allows San Francisco to maintain future salary cap flexibility while shoring up a defense that has been stretched thin.
This approach also aligns with recent in-season adjustments on special teams and the defensive backfield, where short fields and time-of-possession issues have increased defensive strain.
Elsewhere, ESPN’s report mentioned the New York Jets as another logical buyer in the trade market but circled back to San Francisco as the team most likely to make an additional move given their evident need, urgency, and history of deadline activity.
If the 49ers can pair Keion White with another situational edge rusher or coverage defender, the defense’s baseline performance should improve significantly by November—just in time for the typical Shanahan-led team surge.
https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/49ers-rumors-san-francisco-predicted-to-make-another-trade-after-patriots-move