One 49ers Player is Garnering Heavy Praise From Robert Saleh

This 49ers player needs to prove why Robert Saleh believes in him so much.

Nov 16, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh speaks with 49ers safety Malik Mustapha (6) in the third quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

It’s been an uphill battle for the San Francisco 49ers to inject some life into their pass rush. They’ve been trying their best, but it’s still irrelevant.

However, Robert Saleh seems to think it will improve soon. The reason he may believe so is that he is enjoying what he sees from defensive lineman Keion White. 

Robert Saleh raves about Keion White

Dec 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; New England Patriots defensive end Keion White (99) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

“We love the direction he is going. Absolutely love it,” Saleh said. “He's going to be a really good player for us for a while. It hasn't changed. He's a first/second down edge defender and we kick him inside for pass downs on third down. 

“We feel like he's done a really nice job disrupting the passer when he gets those one-on-ones. Hopefully as the group continues to gel, and hopefully that accelerates and continues to get better, that he'll continue to get more one-on-one opportunities, which can result in the more wins.”

It would be massive if White could pick up the slack. As it stands, Bryce Huff has been the only notable pass rusher. He leads the team with four sacks and 42 pressures.

It hasn’t been the most impactful of snaps since he’s best suited to be the secondary rusher. Nevertheless, he’s doing more than the rest. 

Entering Week 16, White has tallied 1.5 sacks and 14 pressures since joining the 49ers. The numbers are massively underwhelming.

However, White deserves a bit of slack. He barely joined the 49ers two months ago. And while a pass rusher’s midseason transition is the easiest, there are still challenges with it.

Oct 19, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh congratulates San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dee Winters (53) during the second quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Plus, White was never this extremely impactful player. It’s clear that he will thrive with another pass rusher or two leading the way, like Nick Bosa.

Unfortunately, he has to step up and be the player that the New England Patriots were thrilled about in 2024. That is when he registered five sacks and 51 pressures.

Against the Cleveland Browns, White seemed to start hitting his stride. He had a decent outing against the Tennessee Titans, but the 49ers need more from him.

That’s why Saleh mentioned he loves the “direction” White is headed. It means he thinks he’s figuring it out and trending in the right direction.

For the 49ers’ sake, they better hope he gets it all together by Week 17 against the Chicago Bears. They need a little more out of their pass rush if they want any hope of being serious in the playoffs. 

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