The Devin White era is over with the Bucs after five seasons.
Now the inside linebacker starts a new chapter after signing with the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year deal that is worth up to $7.5 million if he reaches every incentive. There were definitely great times with Devin White in Tampa Bay, including winning Super Bowl LV, but it’s fair to say that he and the Bucs would probably agree that way things ended in his last season wasn’t exactly how either wanted it to go.
Devin White had his introductory press conference with the Eagles media on Tuesday where he talked about his final season with the Bucs for the first time. White did not speak with the Tampa Bay media when the 2023 season ended after the Bucs fell to the Lions in the Divisional round of the playoffs.
While most of his comments about his time with the Bucs were positive, White did take a shot at his former team, suggesting that the Eagles had built “a better all-around team.”
“It’s an opportunity to show why I was Top 5, why I helped a team win the Super Bowl,” White said about signing with Philadelphia. “To prove. I don’t lack any confidence on a one-year deal. Last year wasn’t who you were, that’s never been Devin White on tape.
“Now you get an opportunity on a bigger stage, it’s a bigger platform here, it’s a better all-around team built right here, right now to do great things. And I want to be a part of that.”
Is Philadelphia really the better team? After all, the Bucs did beat the Eagles, 32-9, in Tampa in a Wild Card playoff game in January. That avenged a 25-11 loss in Week 3 on Monday Night Football.
Tampa Bay ended the 2023 season on a 6-2 run, including a 1-1 mark in the postseason. Philadelphia started last year 10-1, but then lost six of its last seven games, including the Wild Card game to the Bucs.
Devin White Reflects On Last Year With Bucs
Devin White and the Bucs definitely needed a fresh start after a tumultuous ending to their relationship. White definitely sounded ready to turn the page during Tuesday’s press conference.
“It’s been a roller coaster,” White said. “A lot happened – a lot of good, a lot of bad. But at the end of the day I stayed myself, I stayed sane. I think I found the other side and I think I found a good side. I got another opportunity to go play the game that I love and have fun. A new brotherhood coming, going to be around more great guys. I had a lot of great guys on my team in the past. It’s been good, I think it’s going to be even better now that I’m here.”
Everything piled up for White in the wrong way in 2023. The team’s first-round pick in 2019 was forced to play out his fifth-year option as the Bucs were leery of his inconsistent play and refused to give White a long-term contract extension.
A foot injury caused him to miss three games during the year, which was really the first time he missed games due to injury since he was a rookie in 2019. White was out for the regular season finale and the Wild Card round in 2020, but that was because he was on the COVID list.
He also experienced many career lows in 2023. While his two interceptions were the most of his career, White’s 83 tackles were the fewest of since making it to the NFL and his fives tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks were the lowest since his rookie season.
The foot injury certainly played a part, but his play regressed as well. By the end of the season, the Bucs favored starting reserve K.J. Britt over White even when White was healthy enough to play, and he was relegated to certain defensive packages on third downs where he could blitz.
A reporter in Philadelphia asked White what he thought was the difference last year compared to his other successes in Tampa. White preferred not to dwell too much on a sour ending.
“I don’t know. I kind of ended that chapter,” White said. “Wrote a great message to the Buccaneers organization, really just happy and blessed and thankful to open this chapter with the Eagles. My focus has just so much shifted on the Eagles that anything that happened in the past – there was a lot of great, a little bit bad, but I’m thankful for it all and I’m here now and I’m happy. I’m ready to get to work with this team. So none of that really matters to me, I don’t really remember what happened. I’m all tunnel vision on the future, and what can happen in the future here.”
As he stated in the last comment, White did post a message to his social media thanking players, fans and coaches for his time with the Bucs.
The Big, Long-Term Contract Never Materialized For Devin White
Though it was just one press conference with a new team, Devin White still has incredible self-confidence. He believes with the foot injury behind him, he has a fresh start that’ll help him get back to a playing level that saw him earn a second team All-Pro nomination in 2020 and his first and only Pro Bowl nod in 2021.
“I’m 100 percent healthy,” White said. “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 contract. Right now, it’s just ball. Mentally, I’m in a better position. A fresh-start position. When I came in the NFL, I had no expectations — just wanted to play ball, have fun, and win games. I’m really just back into that mindset.”
Of course White had aspirations of earning a mega-deal when he initially planned to hit free agency this offseason. White requested a trade last offseason that the Bucs did not grant after he was unhappy with having to play on his fifth-year deal, which was just shy of $12 million. Ultimately it didn’t amount to anything as White was in the building during mandatory OTAs and practiced in full during training camp. Maybe that was a sign of what was to come.
Fast forward to the 2024 offseason and that mega-deal never arrived in free agency. Instead, White had to take a one-year prove it deal to show that he thinks he deserves the big contract that he wants.
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