Devin White experienced quite a rollercoaster ride in his five seasons as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
His career began with a bang in 2019. He was drafted fifth overall out of LSU – an impressive feat for an inside linebacker in this day and age – and was named to the NFL’s All-Rookie team after that debut season. The following year, in 2020, he was instrumental in the Bucs’ Super Bowl run. In 2021, he was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time, a season in which he was also voted the 28th best player in the NFL by his peers.
The present was rosy back then, but the future looked even rosier for Devin White. Both on the field and in his bank account.
But in this league, things can change quickly. And in Devin White’s case, that’s exactly what happened.
Coming into the 2022 season, Devin White struggled in several key areas. First, he was getting exposed in pass coverage far too often. He also struggled to shake off blockers far too often. He missed more tackles than we’re used to seeing after his first few years in the league. And most disappointing of all, there were several instances where he seemed to completely give up on a play before the whistle blew.
Because of his tantalizing natural talent and the significant capital the team invested in him when they selected him with the fifth overall pick in the draft, the team remained committed to his development. His head coach, Todd Bowles, remained steadfast in his support of the young linebacker, continuing to defend him to the media and strengthening him on the field with consistent opportunities.
Still, Devin White’s play and effort continued to deteriorate over the course of the 2022 season. Then, before the 2023 season (the final year of his rookie contract), White requested a transfer through his agent. The team, unwilling to grant such a request at the time, did not back down. When all was said and done, White eventually realized he had to play, but he put together what was undoubtedly the most disappointing season of his career. By the end of the season, White was splitting snaps with KJ Britt, a fifth-round draft pick of the team in 2021.
All of the above reasons make it easier to understand why it wasn’t a huge surprise to folks in Tampa Bay when the Buccaneers’ front office was happy to give Devin White the opportunity to explore free agency earlier this offseason. White — contrary to what he and his agent had imagined — was not subject to bidding wars on the open market, ultimately settling on a modest one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles for just $4 million.
White recently sat down with former NFL players Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor, hosts of the Pivot podcast, and spoke at length about his time with the Buccaneers.
White claims that injuries played a significant role in his declining performance.
“Injuries play a big part,” he said. “I couldn’t be the best version of myself. I couldn’t stop the ball when I was chasing somebody in the open field. I had one play against the Colts … Gardner Minshew rushed me. That never happened. That’s when I really thought after that game, bro, you’ve got to be more realistic with yourself.”
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He also spoke about his determination to continue playing despite his injury in order to achieve personal accolades.
“I’ve had MRIs and stuff, and you can see the bones and the edema and all that. But I still didn’t know, and I was like, ‘I’m going to be OK, because I need those stats. I need to be All-Pro. I need to be Pro Bowl. I’m on a mission, you know? I would say I did more harm than good to myself and my team by not being able to be the best version of myself.'”
White also specifically praised Todd Bowles, whom he considers a “father figure,” before expressing his displeasure with an unnamed member of the organization – who, logically speaking, is likely Buccaneers GM Jason Licht.
“He didn’t like that I wasn’t willing to meet his conditions, and that’s when things really went downhill. Things were already going downhill when I asked for the trade… but when I asked for the trade and tried to do what was best for me, it turned everyone against me. Not everyone, but some people in higher positions.”
White has settled into his new surroundings in Philadelphia and also seems convinced that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers locker room is falling apart without him. That couldn’t be more contradictory than what we’re hearing from players coming out of Bucs training camp.
“My guys in Tampa still call me and say they miss me, the locker room isn’t the same. But I was the bad guy. I really just want to go out there and have fun. I told a few people just the other day, ‘I’m just back in that mode,’ where I don’t care about the business, it’s going to work itself out because I’m a football player.”
Comments can easily be misunderstood if you only read select quotes for a story, so I highly recommend watching the entire interview before passing judgment on the former Buccaneer’s comments. After all, it’s human nature to try to defend your own opinion.
Still, I think it’s now clearer than ever that both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Devin White will benefit from his departure.
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