49ers Defensive End Keion White has been Shot in the Ankle

Thank goodness he's OK.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

This is so scary.

San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Keion White was shot in the ankle early Monday morning and currently is in the hospital undergoing surgery, according to Ari Meirov.

An hour before this report became public, I received a message from a San Francisco police officer informing me that White had been shot. I immediately called the SFPD, who said that they would get back to me. As of this writing, they haven't responded. So, here's what the police officer told me.

Allegedly, White was attending a private party at Dahlia, a lounge in the Mission District of San Francisco. Apparently, the rapper Lil' Baby and his crew were there, an argument ensued, and White got shot in the foot. It is unclear who shot him. His injuries do not seem to be life-threatening.

White is the second 49ers player who has been shot in San Francisco since 2024. The other was Ricky Pearsall, who got shot in the chest in broad daylight while shopping in Union Square. An armed robber tried to snatch his watch, but Pearsall resisted and got shot. Fortunately, the bullet hit no major organs and Pearsall was OK.

Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Still, it's troubling that multiple 49ers have been shot in San Francisco in the past two seasons.

White, 26, was originally drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. This past season, the 49ers traded for White a week before the trade deadline by sending the Patriots a sixth-round pick.

In 11 games with the 49ers (including the postseason), White recorded 2.5 sacks and 7 quarterback hits. He was a positive addition to a team that severely lacked pass rushers after losing Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams to season-ending ACL injuries.

White is under contract with the 49ers for one more season -- that's a big reason they traded for him in the first place. They didn't want to give away any draft capital for one-year rentals. They wanted to acquire someone who could help the team in the present and the future. That's the 49ers' vision for White.

Now, it's unclear how this shooting will affect his 2026 season and even his career. The fact that he needs surgery is troubling yet not unexpected.

Stay tuned. I will update this story with more information about this awful incident as details emerge from the police department and the team.

UPDATE: Here's a statement from the San Francisco Police Department.

"On February 9, 2026, at approximately 4:06 a.m., San Francisco Police officers responded to a business located on the 1700 block of Mission Street regarding a shooting.

"Officers arrived on scene and located a victim suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Officers rendered aid and requested paramedics to the scene. The victim was transported to local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

"A preliminary investigation revealed a verbal altercation occurred between two groups inside a business.  The victim was injured when shots were fired by an unknown suspect. All information is preliminary at this time, and more information will be provided as it becomes available.

"The SFPD’s Strategic Investigation Unit (SIU) is handling this investigation at this time.

"No arrests have been made at this time. This is an open and active investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the SFPD at 415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the message with SFPD. You may remain anonymous."