Getty Former Bears WR Kevin White as suffered another setback.
After catching on with the New Orleans Saints last year, former Chicago Bears first-round pick Kevin White has gone down with another injury.
The Bears selected the wide receiver No. 7 overall in the 2015 draft after he had a solid two years at the University of West Virginia. White was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award in 2014, which is awarded to the nation’s top college receiver. His 109 receptions, 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns that year made him the target of former Bears general manager Ryan Pace in the draft, but injuries marred his career from the beginning.
That unfortunate trend continues, as White, who was attempting to carve out a role for himself on the Saints’ squad for the second straight season, was placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. Saints beat writer Nick Underhill tweeted on August 23 that White was out with a “minor injury,” but it had to be significant enough the Saints to place him on IR.
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Can White Play Again This Season?
He can, but it’ll take some time. White is going to have to sign an injury settlement before actually getting released from the team as part of the process of returning. Once he’s healthy enough to play, he’ll need to pass a physical for any team interested in signing him.
White’s injury history is significant.
A stress fracture in his shin that required surgery ended his rookie campaign before it began in 2015, and a high-ankle sprain coupled with a fractured fibula cut his 2016 season short. In 2017, he fractured his shoulder blade.
He was released by Chicago following the 2018 season after he remained healthy but never caught on in then-coach Matt Nagy’s offense.
“For whatever reason, (health and opportunity) never lined up,” White told the Saints’ official website in August of 2021. “But I’m trying not to look back too much, move forward because every time I look back and I think of why and the old stuff, it could bring me down, like, ‘Man, I shouldn’t be here. I should be here. My stats should be here.’ I just don’t try to go in that bubble.”
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White Was Working on Carving Out New Role With Saints
White had a brief stint with the Arizona Cardinals in 2019 before landing with the San Francisco 49ers in 2020, where he appeared in three games. He signed with the Saints in 2021 and after being re-signed in 2022, was working towards carving out a new role for himself as a punt returner.
He played in six games and started one for New Orleans last year, largely contributing on special teams, but he did have one catch for 38 yards on offense.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound wideout’s future is a question mark, but his love of the game is not.
“I never played this game for just money,” he told the Saints’ website last year. “It’s not just a money thing for me. If it was a money thing I would have retired and quit and done other things that were able to make me a lot of income. But it’s just something that I love to do. I don’t think I would be able to live with myself knowing I have a lot of potential, and just giving it up.”
During his four years and three active seasons with the Bears, White played in 14 games (five starts) and caught 25 passes for 285 yards. His lone NFL touchdown came in the 2018 preseason.
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