49ers' Keion White Discusses Recovery from Gunshot Wound Ahead of 2026 NFL Season

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Keion White said recovering from the gunshot wound he suffered earlier this offseason was a new experience compared to making his way back from other injuries, according to The Athletic's Vic Tafur .

"It's different because it's trauma instead of just, like, breaking an ankle with a sports-related injury," White said Tuesday, per Tafur. "When you hurt yourself in football, there's a protocol for damn near everything. Football players don't just get shot every day."

He added, in reference to the gunshot wound 49ers receiver Ricky Pearsall recovered from early in the 2024 season, "I mean, I guess they do on this team."

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The 49ers first announced Feb. 9 White was undergoing surgery after suffering "a bullet wound to his ankle."

While publicly discussing the injury for the first time, White told reporters Tuesday he suffered a gunshot to the foot that broke his talus bone (h/t CBS Sports' Matt Lively).

The talus bone meets the shin and calf bones to form the ankle joint, per the Cleveland Clinic . The surgery involved White getting what he described as two small screws installed in his ankle.

"The funny thing is, I was actually the one calming everybody else down," White said about the shooting. "I don't really take a lot of things seriously, so I didn't know I was shot until, like, five minutes after I was walking around."

White missed time during training camp due to an adductor injury. He celebrated his return to the field by sacking Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza in the Niners' Aug. 27 preseason finale.

The fourth-year defender is now set to join the 49ers for their trip to Australia to open the season next Thursday in Melbourne against the Los Angeles Rams.