49ers DL Keion White Recovering After Ankle Surgery Following San Francisco Shooting
San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Keion White is recovering after undergoing surgery Monday afternoon to repair a gunshot wound to his ankle. According to the team, the 27-year-old was shot early that morning during an incident in San Francisco's Mission District.
The shooting occurred at approximately 4:06 a.m. on the 17th block of Mission Street. San Francisco Police say the incident followed an altercation between two groups inside a business.
White, however, is not believed to have been involved in the dispute. He was transported to a nearby hospital by police and underwent surgery later that day.
The 49ers released a statement Monday afternoon confirming the injury: “Keion White was a victim of a shooting and sustained a bullet wound to his ankle this morning in San Francisco.”
Police spokesman Evan Sernoffsky confirmed that White was the only person injured in the incident. No arrests have been made at this time, and investigators are actively following multiple leads. It remains unclear whether the event had any connection to Super Bowl 60, which was played just hours earlier in Santa Clara.
White had been in attendance at the game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, as shown in photos from his Instagram account. He was seen in the stands wearing a Patriots hat - a nod to the team that drafted him in the second round in 2023.
White was traded to the 49ers on October 29 and saw action in nine games this season, starting two. He recorded 1.5 sacks and six quarterback hits during that stretch.
This marks the second time in the past 18 months that a 49ers player has been the victim of gun violence. In August 2024, wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot in the chest during an attempted robbery near Union Square.
A 17-year-old suspect, who was allegedly trying to steal Pearsall’s Rolex, was shot in the arm during the incident and later arrested. Pearsall’s injury was serious but ultimately not life-threatening, and he made a full recovery.
As for White, the focus now shifts to his rehab and recovery. While the injury is not believed to be career-threatening, any gunshot wound - especially to a lower extremity for a player whose job depends on explosiveness and leverage - is significant. The 49ers will be monitoring his progress closely as they look ahead to offseason workouts and roster decisions.
For now, the priority is White’s health and safety. The team has not released a timetable for his return, but they’ve made it clear their support is behind him as he begins the road back.