Veteran linebacker Devin White told reporters Thursday that he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in the offseason to rewrite the story of his career.
In that respect, the developments of this week constitute a major setback for the former No. 5 overall pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Philly’s presumed starter based on first-team practice reps throughout training camp, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio dropped a truth bomb Wednesday when he stated Nakobe Dean — not White — will be the starting middle linebacker for Week 2 and beyond.
White tweaked his ankle in practice last week, resulting in him missing the team flight to Brazil to face the Green Bay Packers in the NFL’s marquee Week 1 event. Dean drew the start in White's absence and had an uneven performance at best. Fangio, however, confirmed a report from the Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane that Dean had won the starting job prior to White’s injury.
MORE: How Eagles Nakobe Dean won ILB job over presumed starter Devin White
Speaking at his locker Thursday, White admitted that he was surprised to now be a reserve on his new team:
You could truly say that (I’m surprised). The way the snap count went (in training camp), the things I did on the field preseason-wise… but at the end of the day, it’s not my call. I can just do what’s asked of me and just stay ready. Whether I go out there the last two minutes of the game or the first play of the game, I just gotta be ready and be able to give this team all that I have.
White signed a 1-year deal worth up to $7.5 million with the Eagles this offseason, eyeing Philadelphia as the perfect spot to prove why he’s deserving of the $100 million long-term deal he was once seeking from the Bucs. He certainly sounded like a man expecting big things in 2024 during his introductory press conference with Philly:
Devin White on how he is now compared to his All-Pro play: "I'm 100 percent healthy. That's where it starts. ...I'm back in a great mental standpoint. It's 'ball, ball, ball' — not a lot of other distractions going on, whatever it is — being a father, trying to get a new…
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) March 20, 2024
Fangio said White will remain in the team’s plans for 2024, but in what capacity is now a mystery for the 26-year-old. In what has to be a difficult situation for White, the former LSU superstar said all the right things when pressed by reporters Thursday.
“That’s what I came here to do, is just rewrite my story for my career,” he said. “However that plays out, I don’t control that, I just leave that in God’s hands and I stay ready. Don’t cry, don’t mope around. I just come to work and be a pro about everything.”
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