Giants Release Reggie White Jr. to Make Room For New QB Signing

New York Giants waive Reggie White Jr., claim QB Cooper Rush off waivers

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The New York Giants reunited their offensive coordinator Jason Garrett with a familiar face on Tuesday, but to do so they had to cut ties with a promising young receiver.

According to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, the Giants have waived soon-to-be 2nd-year wideout Reggie White Jr. The moves frees up space for the recently claimed Cooper Rush, who Big Blue added following his release from the Dallas Cowboys on Monday.


White Flashed Potential With Big Blue

While he isn’t the son of the NFL Hall of Famer defensive end Reggie White, White’s father did, in fact, spend some time in the NFL, including stops with the New England Patriots, San Diego Chargers and New York Jets. Now, for White to leave his mark on the league he’ll first need to find a new suitor on the free-agent market.

A dominant playmaker at Monmouth College in New Jersey, the 6-foot-2-inch, 208-pound White holds the school record for career receptions with 249. He’s also been compared to the likes of arguably the school’s most successful NFL alumn.

“He’s the next Miles Austin,” White’s former coach, Kevin Callahan told NorthJersey.com last May.

Big Blue made White a priority undrafted free agent signing in 2019. He flashed during the preseason, hauling in eight receptions for 115 yards, yet failed to make New York’s final 53-man roster. He was then quickly added back to the Giants’ practice squad.

The Giants’ current wide receiver depth chart is loaded with bodies. Even with the release of White, New York still has 12 wideouts on the roster.


Will Rush Be Daniel Jones’ Backup?

Speaking of a depth chart filled with players, Rush now joins a Giants roster that currently employs four other quarterbacks aside from himself.

Obviously Rush is no threat to take Daniel Jones’ job. However, Colt McCoy, on the other hand, may want to begin looking over his shoulder.

Rush entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 2017. He quickly won over then-head coach Garrett, beating out the likes of a 10-year veteran Luke McCown, and eventually current-day Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, for the QB2 gig behind Dak Prescott. Garrett would stick with Rush as his 2nd-string quarterback for the duration of their working relationship together in Dallas, prior to the coach’s firing this offseason.

Rush’s on-field production is extremely limited. He hasn’t appeared in a regular-season NFL game since his rookie year and has attempted just three career passing attempts. With that said, his knowledge of Garrett’s offense, and the obvious affection the OC has for the QB certainly plays into Rush’s favor.

New York will be incorporating a new offensive scheme this season under Garrett, and the more players that already know the system, the better. This sentiment reigns all the more true during a current quarantine that blurs the timeline of a future training camp.

Rush’s signing makes UDFA Case Cookus‘ chances of making the team even slimmer than they previously were, while Alex Tanney’s job has been in limbo for quite some time. The Giants kept three quarterbacks a season ago, which bodes well for both Rush and McCoy. However, if Rush can show himself capable to be Jones’ backup during the season, the Giants could opt to use McCoy’s roster spot for another position.

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