The San Francisco 49ers will be without linebacker Tatum Bethune for the playoffs, forcing them to make last-minute roster changes. They are turning to former Los Angeles Chargers and Arizona Cardinals veteran Kyzir White for additional help on less than one week's notice.
The 49ers signed White, 29, on Tuesday, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported. White has appeared in one game in 2025 for the Tennessee Titans, who released him in December.
Although White did not pan out for the Titans, he recorded 137 tackles with the Cardinals in 2024. He started 63 games from 2020 to 2024, during which he consistently ranked near the top of the league in tackles.
White joins the team with 618 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 23 pass breakups and six interceptions in his eight-year career. He entered the league with the Chargers, where he remained for his first four years, before joining the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cardinals.
The 49ers were already short on linebackers before losing Bethune, with Fred Warner and Nick Martin on injured reserve. Starters Dee Winters and Luke Gifford are also considered day-to-day with various injuries just five days before their Wild Card matchup.
The injuries have forced the team to turn to multiple veteran free agents late in the season. San Francisco signed Eric Kendricks to its practice squad in November, before elevating him to the active roster for Week 18. Kendricks is expected to start in the playoffs in place of Bethune.
The 49ers' makeshift linebacker corps will be put to the test against the Eagles, who ran the ball at the sixth-highest rate during the regular season. Philadelphia's offensive line is preparing to be the healthiest it has been all season, with Lane Johnson returning to practice and expected to play for the first time since mid-November.
