Going into the 2025 offseason, there were plenty of inevitable roster decisions that were going to be made for numerous reasons, many of which were needed after a disastrous 2024 season. That is something that also comes with the territory of a new head coach and staff taking over a team, which led Mike Vrabel to release a number of former regime starters this past summer.
It also meant that a long list of returning players would have to prove their value to their new head coach and earn a spot on this year’s roster, no matter how tenured they might have been.
That was the case with 2023 third-rounder Keion White, who had made it very clear he was thrilled to have a more stern coach back in the building. He had been vocal throughout last season about the lack of proper coaching from Jerod Mayo’s inexperienced staff, which might have led to his underwhelming year and firmly put him in the hot seat this offseason.
However, he wasn’t able to impress Vrabel and Co. in the weeks leading to the season opener on Sunday and was quickly moved down the depth chart because of it. That doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon, either.
Keion White is still fighting for a spot back with the Patriots’ starters in Week 1
While players were on the field for pregame warmups, it was noticeable that White was not practicing with the starters.
Although it’s not entirely surprising, given that the player in that role instead, K’Lavon Chaisson, spent last season with the Raiders, and Vrabel already announced he would be a game-day captain last week.
#Patriots basing out of a 3-4 defense in warmups:
EDGE: Landry
DE: Barmore
NT: Tonga
DE: Williams
EDGE: Chaisson
MLB: Spillane
WLB: Elliss
CB: Davis, Austin
S: Hawkins, Woodson— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) September 7, 2025
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Regardless, it’s not a great sign for White’s future as a starter if he’s already being easily overlooked for Patriots newcomers, especially one who signed a one-year prove-it deal this spring.
It proves he still has a long way to go to earn his spot in the starting lineup, if that is even a possibility again in the future. There has been a lot of talk about White switching positions on the defensive line to better accommodate his skill set, so there’s a chance that could happen. However, so far, it doesn’t appear as though that is increasing his chances of making the starting group.
It could be that Chaisson was given the start this week due to his familiarity with the Raiders, or it could be a permanent decision. We’ll have to continue to watch closely as the season progresses, and perhaps that will give us a better insight into what White’s future might hold in New England.
