San Francisco adds veteran linebacker ahead of playoff push to secure depth at the position.
The San Francisco 49ers are heading into the postseason battered, bruised, and searching for answers at linebacker.
After enduring one of the roughest injury stretches of the 2025 season, particularly on defense, the team made a necessary veteran addition, signing Kyzir White for its playoff push.
San Francisco’s once-loaded linebacker room has been decimated. Fred Warner and Nick Martin are already on injured reserve, and second year LB Tatum Bethune will join them after suffering a groin tear in Week 18 against the Seattle Seahawks.
Dee Winters and Luke Gifford are also nursing injuries after that game and remain day-to-day. With depth rapidly evaporating, the 49ers needed immediate help.
According to Jordan Schultz, that help comes in the form of White, a seasoned linebacker with eight years of NFL experience.
White, 29, entered the league as a fourth-round pick (No. 119 overall) by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2018 after playing at Lackawanna College and West Virginia. Since then, he’s built a reputation as a productive, reliable defender.
White signed a two-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals in 2023 and quickly became a leader on their defense.
He led the team with 90 tackles in his first season and followed that up with 137 tackles in 2024, finishing second on the team in tackles.
After a brief stint on the Titans’ practice squad earlier this season, before being released in December, White now finds himself on a playoff roster.
Over 93 career games, White has compiled 618 tackles, 34 tackles for loss, 23 passes defensed, 20 quarterback hits, 7.5 sacks, six interceptions, and two forced fumbles.
That experience could prove invaluable for a depleted 49ers defense.
If Winters and Gifford are unable to play Sunday, San Francisco’s linebacker rotation could feature Eric Kendricks, signed off the practice squad, alongside White, Garret Wallow, Curtis Robinson, and Jalen Graham.
Kendricks is expected to start in Bethune’s place, while Warner’s earliest possible return wouldn’t come until a potential NFC Championship Game.
Fortunately for San Francisco, the defensive scheme isn’t overly complex, giving White a chance to contribute immediately.
There’s even a scenario where the 49ers lean on White and Kendricks as their primary starters—two veterans with plenty of mileage, but also plenty of football IQ.
That duo will be tested immediately against the Philadelphia Eagles, who feature star running back Saquon Barkley, an elite offensive line, and a quarterback who thrives in short-yardage situations. Expecting dominant defense may be unrealistic.
Instead, the 49ers’ hopes likely rest on Brock Purdy and the offense rebounding against an elite Philadelphia defense, something they failed to do late in the regular season.
Kyzir White doesn’t solve everything, but for a team running out of options, he may be the reinforcement that keeps the season alive.