New England Patriots defensive end Keion White had an impressive start to his 2024 campaign, recording 11 tackles, four sacks and a forced fumble in the first two weeks, but he’s been having a tough time since.
On the year, White has 52 tackles, five passes defensed, five sacks and two forced fumbles. He’s also been a liability against the run, earning a 59.2 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus which ranks him 108th of 206th qualified edge rushers.
White’s disappointing performance has led to him questioning whether or not he belongs with the Patriots.
“I’m going to try to get through these next two games, and then figure it out after that, and see where the cards may lie for my future,” White said (via. MassLive).
What did he exactly mean?
“Just in general. In terms of everything,” White said. “I mean, anything is possible. It’s the NFL. Anything can happen year to year. It’s a production-based business. It is what it is. You just figure out where you go … something’s gotta change. That’s the way I feel at this point.”
White has still been putting the heat on opposing quarterbacks with 43 pressures, 29 hurries and eight hits, according to PFF. Pro Football Reference has him with 15 hits.
However, the 25-year-old just knows what’s happening isn’t good.
“It’s the honest truth. I operate in black and white. So if it is, it is. If it ain’t, it ain’t,” White said. “And I feel like I’m not playing good run defense. It’s a multitude of reasons why. It’s an internal thing we need to figure out.
“I don’t think it’s just one thing. I think it’s a lot of things. First and foremost, it’s me,” he went on. “I need to improve me, and being on the same page with what the coaches want. But I think it’s a lot of other things as well. Without going too much into details, that’s how I feel.”
White appeared to be one of New England’s best picks, in recent years after his strong start to the season, but if they can’t get him to live up to that potential or be the all-around player that both he and the team want him to be, White could be playing elsewhere in 2025, and it may be his choice.
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