Eagles part ways with former Super Bowl champion defender

Oct 9, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of a Philadelphia Eagles helmet at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Eagles are cutting ties with one veteran defender before he could even play a single snap for them.

The Eagles announced to social media on Tuesday that they have released linebacker Devin White. The news comes after Philly had signed White to a one-year deal over the offseason.

White, 26, was a first-round draft pick (No. 5 overall) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019. He then went on to become a standout for the Tampa Bay defense, making an All-Pro team in 2020, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2021, and starting on the Buccaneers team that won Super Bowl LV.

But White gained notoriety last season over the way that his time in Tampa ended. White first publicly requested a trade before the 2023 season began. When that request was not granted, White eventually quit on the team by refusing to suit up for one late-season game.

In Philly this season, White had not been active for a single game. He didn’t make the trip with the team to Brazil for Week 1 due to an ankle injury, was a healthy scratch for a couple weeks after that, and then was ruled out with what the team called “personal” reasons in more recent weeks. With Nakobe Dean winning a starting linebacker job over White and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (son of ex-Eagles All-Pro Jeremiah Trotter) among those working behind him, the Eagles clearly feel there is no more need for White on the roster.