Former Raiders starter is heading to one of Las Vegas’ biggest rivals, but it’s an opportunity he likely couldn’t pass up
The Las Vegas Raiders are in a good position right now, and don’t need another running back. But former RB Zamir White is heading to the 49ers now.
Zamir White is heading to the Bay Area. The former Las Vegas Raiders running back signed with the San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday, joining one of the Raiders’ biggest rivals after four seasons in Silver and Black.
The move caught some fans off guard. White was a fourth-round pick, No. 122 overall, in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Georgia, where he was one of the better running backs in the country. He was the player Josh McDaniels believed would eventually take over for Josh Jacobs, who has remained a productive running back in the NFL. But White never seized that opportunity in Las Vegas, and he’s now a product of the McDaniels era that no Raiders fan wants to remember.
White’s numbers tell the story
With the Raiders, White accumulated 700 career rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on 198 career rushing attempts. His best season came in 2023, when he ran for 451 yards on 104 attempts at an average of 6.1 yards per carry with one touchdown. That average was pretty decent, and it suggested there might be something there.
Last season told a different story. White managed just 32 rushing yards, buried on the depth chart behind Ashton Jeanty and Raheem Mostert. Some fans feel empathy for White because of the coaching instability he dealt with in Las Vegas. However, he still didn’t perform when given the opportunity, even on a bad team.
San Francisco could be a fresh start
The 49ers seem to always cycle through running backs because of their injury history, which could open a door for White. In Kyle Shanahan’s offense, maybe he can pull something together.
White could be a decent backup running back in the NFL. His size gives him goal-line value, and in San Francisco’s scheme, there’s a chance he puts it all together.
What is clear is that the Raiders have moved on. Las Vegas has its running back room set with Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington Jr. White heads to San Francisco four years after being drafted, looking to prove he can still carve out a role in this league.
