The Detroit Lions are already experiencing injury concerns in the early goings of Training Camp, having lost rookie linebacker Jimmy Rolder for an undetermined amount of time.
To supplement for Rolder’s absence, Lions general manager Brad Holmes acted swiftly and signed veteran linebacker Devin White to a one-year contract after he played last season as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Raiders, who finished dead last in the AFC West Division with a poor 3-14 record, aren’t going anywhere fast. For White, that kind of losing was new to him, and he made it clear that he’s happy to now be with a club that has their sights trained on winning.
New Detroit Lions Linebacker Devin White Appreciates Being With A Club Trying To Win
The Lions are coming off a season in which they amassed a 9-8 record. While it was technically a winning record, the club unfortunately missed the NFL postseason for the first time since 2023.
They also saw their two-year reign atop the NFC North Division come to a close, but they’re entering the new campaign focused on reversing the fate that befell them last season.
For White, he’s happy to be with an organization focused on winning.
“Coming off last year, losing season, that was like the first time ever (for me),” White said. “I ain’t never lost or having a losing season in my career since I was a kid, so that was very hard.”
“I feel like just jumping out there head first and putting myself back in the position I was in last year–a lot of other teams, they’re probably a lot of pieces away from getting to even the postseason, and I really didn’t want to deal with that,” White siad. “I want to go in and be able to help a team that really wants to win right now.”
For now, White is getting acclimated to his new surroundings and playing system, and he’s going to do whatever is necessary to put himself in the best position to help his new club achieve their goals.
“I just finished Day 1 of practice, and it was a good one,” White said. “I gotta go back and get back into film study so I can come back tomorrow with the pads on and be a lot faster and a lot more physical. So I’ll be trying to get acclimated to that.”
The Lions Signed Devin White Following The Injury To Rookie Jimmy Rolder
White was taken by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. He’d play five seasons for the club, racking up 566 tackles and 23 sacks across 76 games, and played a key role in the franchise’s Super Bowl-winning 2020 season with 140 tackles and nine sacks; he also earned a trip to the Pro Bowl.
Following his departure from Tampa Bay after the 2023 season, White joined the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year contract but was released after not appearing in the team’s first four games of 2024. He later signed with the Houston Texans, where he had 19 tackles in seven games.
Last year with the Raiders, he played in 17 games and had 174 tackles, good for third most in the NFL.
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