On Tuesday, the Eagles released linebacker Devin White. On Wednesday, coach Nick Sirianni was asked various questions about the move during his midweek press conference.
As to the inability of White to find a role in the defense, it came down to other players being better options.
“It goes back to Nakobe [Dean] and Zack [Baun] getting that spot, winning that spot,” Sirianni said. “And, like I said, that’s not an easy situation. I can’t say enough good things about Devin and how he handled a really hard situation.”
With White buried on the depth chart, the Eagles decided to just move on.
“Sometimes, guys have roles on special teams, et cetera,” Sirianni said. “And just in this particular case, this is where we were and just how it played out.”
White would have been entitled to receive the full balance of his salary as termination pay. The Eagles and White reportedly agreed that he’d be released now (which kept him from going through waivers) while also including terms that would provide the Eagles with possible financial savings. This could mean, for example, that White agreed to give the Eagles an offset for anything he earns with a new team. (Termination pay typically allows the player to double dip.)
Sirianni praised White as a “really great pro,” who “handled everything with class.”
“I know that was a hard situation for him to be in, a guy that has started a lot of games in this league and been successful in this league,” Sirianni said. “And I can’t say enough good things about Devin, the person, and how he handled a disappointing situation for him. I think it just gives you a perspective of what we feel about the rest of that room. And the guys we have in that room, and how they’ve been executing, and how they’ve been playing. Look forward to continuing to grow with those guys that we have.”
White was the fifth overall pick in the 2019 draft. He played a key role in Tampa Bay’s 2020 Super Bowl championship team, especially in the postseason.
Things fell off after that, and he exited Tampa Bay in free agency. After four weeks with the Eagles, White had been inactive for every game.
He’s now a free agent, able to sign with any team.