Attending the Bruce Arians Family Foundation gala on Monday night, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles commented publicly for the first time on Devin White’s trade request over his contract dispute. White is currently on his fifth-year option worth $11.706 million, but wants a contract extension right now that will pay him between $18-$20 million per year.
Bowles didn’t seem fazed by Devin White’s stance regarding his contract.
“We’ve got him for another year like [general manager] Jason [Licht] said,” Bowles said. “We discussed it. We’re not trading him, and we’ll go from there. It’s the offseason right now and nothing counts. We expect him to be there when the season starts.”
Asked whether he expects Devin to show up for mandatory mini-camp and training camp, which is also mandatory, Bowles said: “That’d be up to him. We’ll just coach the guys we have there. We have a good crowd in right now. We are happy with everyone who has come in and participated.”
Bowles was asked whether or not he has talked to White about where things stand right now.
“Things don’t stand anywhere,” Bowles said. “It’s the offseason and everything is voluntary. So, there’s really nothing to talk about at this stage of it. Once you get into mandatory and the season starts then you can talk about it. But right now there is nothing to talk about.”
Bowles was also asked if it has any effect on the team not having a team captain like White present in the Bucs’ voluntary offseason program.
“No, we’ve never had everybody in the voluntary program,” Bowles said. “But we’ve got a good 90%. So we are good – we are great. And the guys who are out, are out for reasons. So we are happy with the turnout.”
The Bucs want to see White play more consistent football in order to justify giving him a lucrative contract extension. Bowles said that it’s not just White who needs to play more consistently in the coming year following an 8-9 season in 2022.
“Well, that’s from everybody,” Bowles said. “You know, you can’t just single him out and say it’s not him. It’s from everybody. If everybody is consistent you have a successful winning team every week. And it’s not just him getting singled out.”
White may choose to hold out of mandatory mini-camp or training camp, but he doesn’t have any leverage, especially with the Bucs not wanting to trade him.
Former Bucs Coach Bruce Arians Comments On Devin White’s Contract Dispute
Bruce Arians, who helped draft Devin White with his first-round pick in 2019, which was his first year as the Bucs head coach, also chimed in on the linebacker’s contract dispute at his celebrity gala.
“Come on back,” Arians said. “Come on back. Earn your money. It’s there. Go earn it. That’s all you gotta say.”
And then the Bucs – or some other team – would be happy to pay White.
“No doubt,” Arians said. “No doubt. Go earn it.”
Arians also said that he won’t be around as much in 2023, as Todd Bowles needs to make his own imprint on the team without him.
“It’s his imprint on it,” Arians said. “His footprint on it – and that’s the way it has to be. I think I might have been around too much last year. I’m not going to be around that much this year – on purpose – because it’s his team. Whatever the Bucs need I’m going to be there. Whatever Jason needs, whatever Todd needs – but I’m going to step back and get out of the way.”
More must-reads: