One former Tampa Bay Buccaneers superstar is getting another chance to continue his NFL career — the latest stop in many stops over the last several years.
“Breaking: The Lions are signing former All-Pro LB Devin White to a 1-year deal, per sources,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote on his official X account on Saturday. “The Super Bowl champion made 17 starts last season for the Raiders, while recording 174 tackles (3rd-most in the NFL), 11 TFLs and 1 INT.”
There was a time in the not-so-distant past when White seemed like the future of the Buccaneers’ defense— not just the heir apparent to Lavonte David but the next in line behind stars like Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, and Ronde Barber.
It turned out, White’s success with the Buccaneers ended up being more of a flash in the pan than anything else — an incredible run over his 1st 3 seasons that saw White named to the NFL All-Rookie Team in 2019, NFL All-Pro along with a Super Bowl champion in 2020, then a Pro Bowler in 2021.
Now, White is on his 5th team in 4 seasons.
Devin White strip sack near the goal line 👀
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Devin White Named Best ‘Bargain Bin’ Free Agent
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton put him at the top of his list of the NFL’s best “Bargain Bin” free agents in June.
White, the No. 5 overall pick by the Buccaneers in the 2019 NFL draft, last played for the Buccaneers in 2023, split 2024 between the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans, then started all 17 games and had 174 tackles for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025.
Moton singled out White’s best fits in free agency as a pair of playoff teams from last season — the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“A former top-five pick from the 2019 draft, Devin White has clear strengths and weaknesses that can be utilized and masked, respectively,” Moton wrote on July 1. “On the one hand, White is an exceptional early-down defender who can supplement the pass rush … however, White has been inconsistent in pass coverage. He’s allowed a passer rating above 104 in two of his pro seasons. In the previous year, the seven-year veteran gave up three touchdowns and allowed a 94.3 passer rating in coverage. In a two-down role with limited exposure to coverage assignments, White can be a starting inside linebacker alongside a reliable second-level cover defender. If he signs with a team, it’ll likely be a one-year, prove-it deal.”
White Missed Out On 2nd Super Bowl Win in 2024
White signed a 1-year, $7.5 million free agent contract with the Eagles in March 2024 after spending his first 5 seasons with the Buccaneers and seemed in line to start at one of the inside linebacker spots.
The Eagles made the stunning move to release White on October 8 and never even put him on the active roster through the first 4 games of the season.
Following White’s release and a 2-2 start to the season, Philadelphia reeled off 10 consecutive wins and won their second Super Bowl in the last 8 years with a blowout win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Eagles soured on White after Nakobe Dean outplayed him and took his spot on the 1st-team defense in training camp. White was vocal about getting less money to play in Philadelphia so he could be a “dominant” player again.
“Rather taking such and such with another team that don’t have the pieces around to even allow me to become even better,” White told The Pivot podcast in August 2024. “For me, I know I have to rebuild myself and show I can be that dominant middle linebacker … to be on a great team that’s going to be great in the future and I want to be around long term.”
Former Bucs All-Pro Devin White Signs With NFC Contender