Just four years ago, Devin White was an All-Pro caliber linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a Super Bowl campaign. Mired in inconsistency and unreliability, these same Buccaneers couldn't trust him in a playoff spot anymore.
Having already seen his role significantly reduced during Tampa Bay's crucial wild-card round win over the Philadelphia Eagles, White made what amounted to a brief cameo at Ford Field. He was so brutal in Todd Bowles' defensive scheme, that he passed Josh Reynolds to nobody on a crucial early touchdown for the Lions.
From here on out, it looked like the Buccaneers had had enough of White's mistakes with their season on the line:
Goff to Reynolds puts on @the black Forward, 10-3!
đŸ“º: #TBvsDET On NBC
đŸ“±: Broadcasting #NFLPlus https://t.co/frRD38BNYS pic.twitter.com/JKCL0Y5GxL– NFL (@NFL) January 21, 2024
White's future in Tampa Bay could be in doubt, a former top-five pick. In what was already a decade-long year for the linebacker, he disappointed, looking nowhere near the type of franchise player he once resembled in a Buccaneers uniform.
He may stay with the Buccaneers on a cheaper deal while they regroup after being eliminated in the playoff series by Detroit. But after a relatively disappointing 2023 campaign, which included a reduced role in the postseason, White should probably prepare for a new home in the NFL, just in case.
