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Cardinals cut former Bears 1st-round bust Kevin White

Kevin White was a star at West Virginia, a Biletnikoff award finalist who tallied 109 catches for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior.

He backed up his gaudy stats with an impressive NFL combine, logging a blazing 4.35 40-yard dash while impressing on the bench press with 23 reps from his 6-3, 215-pound frame.

If a general manager could concoct a prototype receiver in a lab, it would look a lot like White, who was a surefire bet in the 2015 NFL draft.

Except he wasn’t.

Cardinals cut Kevin White

The Arizona Cardinals cut White on Wednesday. Now, four years after the Chicago Bears drafted him, White’s looking for a job in addition to his first NFL touchdown.

White’s NFL story is a sad one that — barring a comeback of sorts — will be headlined by injury.

Kevin White is still seeking his first NFL touchdown after being released by the Arizona Cardinals. (Getty)
Kevin White is still seeking his first NFL touchdown after being released by the Arizona Cardinals. (Getty)

Constant battle with injuries

The Bears drafted White with the No. 7 pick in 2015, expecting to pair him with Alshon Jeffrey and build one of the league’s most dynamic passing attacks with Jay Cutler behind center.

But before he ever played a down, White suffered a stress fracture in his left shin that required a rod to be inserted to stabilize his tibia. He did not play a down during the 2015 season.

He returned to play in 2016 before a high ankle sprain suffered in Week 4 resulted in a fractured fibula in the same leg that required surgery the year before. He finished the season on injured reserve, having tallied 18 catches for 179 yards.

The 2017 season provided more of the same for White, just a different body part. He fractured his left shoulder blade in Week 1, and finished that season on injured reserve as well after tallying two catches in the season opener.

After limited action in 2018 that saw him tally four catches for 92 yards, the Bears released the former first-round pick rather than pick up his fifth year option.

Second chance with Cardinals ends in short order

He signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with a $400,000 signing bonus with the Cardinals in the offseason. A hamstring injury halted his progress in training camp, and now White is again looking for a job.

The good news for the 27-year-old is that he’s reportedly recovered from his hamstring ailment as he continues to seek NFL employment. The bad news is that he’s still a long way away from that first NFL touchdown.

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