Nearing The Finish Line
July 7th, 2026
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BY IRA KAUFMAN
He was supposed to ride off into a storied career atop his chosen Super Bowl horse, Artistic Dream.
Instead, it’s the steed’s rider who has broken down.
Devin White
Devin White had the world at his stirrups during the unforgettable championship run of the 2020 Buccaneers. He was only 22 when he finished his second pro season with a flourish.
White may have been Tampa Bay’s most consequential player in that postseason push, posting two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and 38 tackles, despite missing one of the four playoff games. He was named a second-team All-Pro linebacker after registering 9 sacks and 140 stops, including 15 tackles for loss. He seemed poised for greatness.
But here we are six years later — and 28-year-old Devin White doesn’t have a job in the National Football League. He’s not old and he’s not hurt, but White can’t drum up much interest from 32 teams as a free agent.
His is a cautionary tale for any first-round pick who enjoys early success.
Despite averaging 15 starts during his five seasons in Tampa, White failed to secure a second contract with the team that made him the fifth overall pick in the 2019 draft. He thought he deserved a new deal, but he couldn’t win over Todd Bowles, Jason Licht or the Glazers.
When White requested a trade during the 2023 offseason, the Bucs kept him on for one more year. That was a mistake because White became a locker room problem. When he wasn’t pouting, he was popping off to teammates, so the Bucs finally allowed him to hit free agency.
The Eagles pounced, hoping White could recapture his dynamic form, but he was released a month into the 2024 season. He never played a snap for Philadelphia. Two weeks later, the Texans signed White and he played seven games for Houston before hitting the free-agent market once again.
John Spytek, Licht’s former right-hand personnel guru, gave White a chance with the Raiders last season. Despite setting a franchise record with 174 tackles, White failed to impress his new team enough to retain his services.
This is a bizarre turn of events.
The only two players with more tackles than White in 2025 — Miami’s Jordyn Brooks and Jack Campbell of the Lions — were named first-team All-Pro at inside linebacker.
White can’t find an employer.
He peaked at age 22, flying around the field and turning games around with his startling speed in a 240-pound frame. That frame is now 250. He added 10 pounds and lost his mojo.
White’s lack of physicality caught up to him. He is seen as an erratic head case who takes poor angles and struggles to cover the middle of the field. Licht publicly stated he harbors regrets about drafting White. That’s a heck of an admission considering White played such a pivotal role in Licht brandishing the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
The Bucs signed Alex Anzalone from Detroit in free agency because they view him as White’s polar opposite, an aggressive inside linebacker who can cover, hit and serve as a leader for a defense that often appeared rudderless in 2025.
Will Devin White play another snap in the NFL? Probably yes.
Some team ravaged by injury will likely give No. 45 another chance to resurrect a career in shambles. And although White’s stint in Tampa didn’t end well, Buc fans won’t soon forget his contributions.
He’s young enough to get on that horse again for one last ride, yet the finish line looms dead ahead.
A Tampa icon since 1960!
July 7th, 2026 at 8:36 am
He needs a shrink
July 7th, 2026 at 8:53 am
once the book is out that you’re a locker room cancer or teams question your love for the game, its a wrap…
i think he’s done, sadly
GO BUCS!!!!
July 7th, 2026 at 8:57 am
Hard to believe a player could put up those numbers in 2025 and not be employed in 2026.
He must really be an a$$ hole. Very unfortunate indeed.
Talent alone can only get you so far. I hope he can somehow turn it around.
Perhaps he just needs to work out his demons in whatever way is best for him.
He’s a champion forever. Nothing can change that.
July 7th, 2026 at 8:57 am
Physical (and mental) toughness is a requirement for a lengthy NFL career. But, I believe that the love of the game is more important. Appears that White might not have 2 of the 3 of those. At least not enough of 2 of 3 of those.
July 7th, 2026 at 9:31 am
Classic case study in the phenomenal Todd Bowles Regression program. Once BA handed over the team to the Tdod, no one was left to hold White accountable. That should be a warning to the Bucs rookies on defense.
July 7th, 2026 at 9:57 am
3rd leading tackler in the NFL without work? More to this story that has not been written.
July 7th, 2026 at 10:20 am
Here we are still trying to find Whites”(and now Davids’) replacement.
Worry less about how well Trotter plays dropping into coverage, and realize we drafted him to terrorize the tackle box kind of like Devin White but bigger.
July 7th, 2026 at 10:22 am
Don’t hate the guy but when I had teamates who were locker room nut jobs? Loafing? I never loafed on a single snap! Not even late in a two a day!
Hard to give any respect to those dudes even if they had all the talent in the world. In fact especially if they did! Wasting that God given talent is something that happens in sports but It is infuriating to me because I was always the guy who had to work harder than everyone else just so I could start. My health finally got me.
So many would give anything to be in his shoes… Shame on you sir!
Go Bucs!
July 7th, 2026 at 10:40 am
When he declared he was going to get a $100 million dollar contract…I knew that was a bad sign of things to come.
No Super Bowl 55 win without him. So much promise and potential. The tackles stats from last season are a little misleading…the Raider defense is awful and White was apparently freelancing at will.
July 7th, 2026 at 10:42 am
At some point some wires got crossed. Sad.
July 7th, 2026 at 10:49 am
That kid was a Head Case with a zero chance of ever recovering.
July 7th, 2026 at 11:27 am
Hope he didn’t have to eat his horse.
July 7th, 2026 at 12:19 pm
He is not a smart guy to begin with, but then you throw in his ‘freakish’ athletic ability, and being such a physical specimen, & etc… He’s been coddled SO HARD throughout his entire childhood and young life, that he has ZERO self-awareness. But, 174-TACKLES THO!? And, still at not even 30 YET!? It doesn’t make sense that HE doesn’t have a JOB. He must just be a HORRIBLE, Dumb Human. I know he says A LOT of real weird stuff. He’s DUMBERN A ROCK.
July 7th, 2026 at 12:22 pm
Bowles beat my twin brother up
July 7th, 2026 at 1:14 pm
174 tackles is no joke.
He had almost as many tackles as LVD and Dennis combined.
I’m not sure what he does wrong.
He needs to play in à defense where he’s not expected to cover anybody.
And he needs to become more violent.
But 174 tackles is insane.
He can’t be that bad.
July 7th, 2026 at 2:00 pm
I remember the Baltimore game. He had no idea where he should be on the field. It was so weird to watch. He literally forgot how to play football.
I still wonder if CTEs had something to do with it. Definitely something mental.
July 7th, 2026 at 4:42 pm
Ride little horsey – into town
Please little horsey don’t fall down…..
July 7th, 2026 at 4:42 pm
See 3.28 your takes are 💩🤡 at best. Bowles used white perfectly. His stats prove it and so did that defense in 2020.
July 7th, 2026 at 6:48 pm
That was a total shame. Antonio Brown type of clown.
July 7th, 2026 at 6:57 pm
Just out of curiosity I looked up his PFF score. It was 40.7. sometimes tackles aren’t the whole story I guess. Remember Barratt Ruud? Tons of tackles…5 or 6 yards past the line of scrimmage.
July 7th, 2026 at 7:52 pm
All those collisions may have wiped his mental ability to think or react quickly. He’s done.