Projected $100 Million Buccaneers Star ‘Self Destructed’ With Benching…
This probably should have been a big year for the Buccaneers’ Devin White, a team captain and star playmaker who has earned a reputation as a versatile linebacker with the ability to pressure the quarterback and excel in coverage. With Tampa Bay surging lately and the playoffs well within grasp, White should not only be riding a wave of success, but looking at a big payday in free agency.
Indeed, Bleacher Report earlier this year had White’s next contract at $100 million over five years, as Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith got. Spotrac also estimates White’s value at $20.1 million per year, and has him projected to get a four-year, $80 million deal.
But things have gone off the rails for Devin White. He simply hasn’t been that good for the Buccaneers this season and, apparently, was set to be benched by coach Todd Bowles for Sunday’s huge Week 15 win over the Packers as White was coming back from a foot injury. Instead, despite having been a full participant in practice, White said he could not go at all on Sunday.
It’s brought this season to a thud for White.
As veteran Buccaneers reporter and analyst Scott Reynolds of the Pewter Report wrote, “White has just about self-destructed his own career. Inconsistent play and lack of effort are the culprit, especially this season, which is a contract year for White.”
It has been obvious since the White saga began this weekend that it is not something Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles wants to explain in very much depth. On Monday, after what might have been the biggest win of his tenure as Buccaneers head coach, the mild-mannered Bowles sparred with reporters over White’s status.
Bowles claimed he did not tell backup K.J. Britt he was going to start over White. When he was asked about it, he said, “Did I?”
When the response came that it was believed he did, Bowles said, “No, I didn’t.”
He also claimed that White told him “Saturday or Friday” that he would not be able to play because of a foot injury, contradicting and NFL Network report that White’s absence was not injury-related.
He added that when and if White does decide to play again, he would be in the linebacker rotation. Bowles did not say he would start again.