Patriots trade DE Keion White to 49ers
The New England Patriots moved on from a pair of former defensive starters on Tuesday by trading safety Kyle Dugger to the Pittsburgh Steelers and defensive end Keion White to the San Francisco 49ers, according to multiple media reports.
Both swaps are framed the same: The Patriots are sending a seventh-round draft pick along with their former player while collecting a sixth-round choice in return.
Dugger and White had been starters under previous Pats head coaches Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo, but their roles diminished for first-year coach Mike Vrabel this season. White, 26, was a healthy scratch for the Patriots’ 32-13 victory against the visiting Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
More on the 49ers-Patriots Trade
Dugger signed a four-year, $58-million contract with New England last year after receiving the transition tag. He started just four of seven games for the Patriots this season after starting every game he appeared in during the past three campaigns.
The 2020 second-round pick has contributed just 17 tackles in 2025. He has recorded 441 tackles, 3.5 sacks and nine interceptions across six seasons.
Dugger joins a Steelers defense that just lost veteran safety DeShon Elliott to a hyperextended knee in Sunday night’s loss to the Green Bay Packers. Head coach Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday that Elliott is week-to-week, according to ESPN.
White, meanwhile, played in the Patriots’ first five games with one start this season and totaled six tackles. The 2023 second-round pick started 13 of 17 games last year and totaled 56 tackles, five sacks, seven tackles for loss, 16 quarterback hits and two forced fumbles.
In parts of three seasons, White has 88 tackles, six sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 21 QB hits in 38 games (18 starts).
White’s new club, the 49ers, has amassed just nine sacks in eight games — only the Jacksonville Jaguars (eight in seven) have fewer. San Francisco has been trying to compete without five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Nick Bosa, who sustained a season-ending torn right ACL in Week 3.
The 49ers’ depth is thin with ends Bryce Huff (hamstring), Yetur Gross-Matos (hamstring) and Sam Okuayinonu (ankle) also dealing with injuries.
–Field Level Media
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The San Francisco 49ers made a roster move Tuesday — or rather, declined to make one — that could indicate a trade for defensive line help is in the works.
With their front seven ravaged by injuries, Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch have consistently professed to have faith that suitable reinforcements could come from within the organization. But the pickings got even slimmer Tuesday when the Carolina Panthers signed edge rusher Trevis Gipson off San Francisco’s practice squad.
Gipson’s practice-squad elevations had been used up, meaning the 49ers needed to sign him to the active roster to keep him. They did not, despite the fact that Gipson had played in 4 games this year and was one of the 49ers’ top two edge rushers in Sunday’s loss to the Texans. That allowed the Panthers to swoop in and sign Gipson, originally a fifth-round pick with the Bears in 2020.
Golden Knights sign goalie Hart to 2-year, $4 million contract
Carter Hart is signing a two-year, $4 million contract with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Hart agreed to the deal last week, becoming the first of the five 2018 Canada world junior hockey players to land an NHL contract since they were acquitted of sexual assault in a high-profile case.
Hart, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton are not eligible to play in games until Dec. 1 as part of the league's reinstatement process.
Hart is resuming his career at age 27 after spending his first six seasons in Philadelphia. The Flyers last month ruled out bringing back Hart, whose camp communicated to general manager Danny Briere that a fresh start was a better option.
That turned out to be Vegas, where Adin Hill and Akira Schmid serve as the goalies.
Hart went 96-93-29 with the Flyers, posting a 2.94 goals-against average.
Hart and the others were charged in 2024 in connection with an incident in London, Ontario, in 2018. The judge overseeing the trial said that the prosecution could not meet the onus of proof to convict them and that the complainant's allegations lacked the credibility needed to justify the charges.
The league conducted its own investigation beginning in 2022 when the allegations came to light.
