Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott was forced to make a tough decision in the offseason regarding one of his most talented players and in his mind, one of the most talented in franchise history.
The Bills moved on from cornerback Tre'Davious White earlier this month after he suffered a devastating injury last October that ended his season. Paired with an ACL injury suffered in 2021, White's fate was inevitable albeit pretty hard to actually go through.
When asked about releasing White at the NFL owner meetings on Monday, McDermott couldn't help showing emotion for his now former player.
"I mean, emotional, right? Because it's not like you can't believe it's what we're discussing," McDermott told reporters via Matthew Bové from WBKW. "You know eventually it's going to come just because of the lifespan of an NFL player. But it came way too early in my mind and I'm sure in his mind as well."
White has the kind of credentials that make it even tougher to move on from a player. In 2019, he was named a first-team All-Pro and finished with second-team honors the year after that. In his first year in the league, he finished second in voting for Defensive Rookie of the Year, per Pro Football Reference. In his first four seasons in the NFL, he racked up 15 interceptions.
It's pretty tough to not wonder what could've been.
"To me, it's tragic in some ways because of the injuries and had not the injuries occurred who knows where his time in Buffalo would've taken him and us," McDermott added. "I think he's one of the best defensive backs to ever play in Buffalo, I really believe that. He's all class, all the time. He works his tail off. And he's one of the best human beings I know."
The emotional McDermott clearly sounded like a man who was forced into a decision by circumstances out of his control more than he sounds like a coach simply making a roster move.
"It's just to me, a very unfortunate situation with the injuries," he concluded. "Sad to see him go, it really is. Him and his family, he got injured in the Miami game and a number of us went over to his house after the game and what do you say? Specially after what he had gone through just the year before. What do you say? There's nothing you can say other than being there for him. (...) It's a surreal moment."
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