Bucs’ White sits out practice but isn’t a ‘hold-in’

Last updated: 2023/06/14 at 12:08 AM

BigP Published June 14, 2023

Jenna Laine, ESPN Staff WriterJun 13, 2023, 01:33 PM ET
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TAMPA, Fla. — Buccaneers Pro Bowl inside linebacker Devin White, who requested a trade earlier this offseason, did report for the start of Buccaneers’ minicamp, and he was present on the field Tuesday but did not take part in practice.

Coach Todd Bowles said that this isn’t a “hold-in” — where a player reports to camp to avoid fines but doesn’t participate — though.

“No, it’s not a hold-in,” Bowles said. “We’d like to see where he is physically. We don’t feel like we need to put him out here right now until we test him, do everything. So, two or three days of camp is not going to help him that way.”

Bowles said White will lift and run inside, and “he’ll be ready for training camp.”

White spent the majority of the time Tuesday talking to inside linebacker Lavonte David, who has served as a mentor to White and has been White’s co-captain on defense.

White, the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft and a key part of their Super Bowl LV-winning defense, took part in the Bucs’ photo shoot Sunday to promote the coming season, which was voluntary and was held at the team facility. He has not taken part in OTAs, though. Bowles said he won’t be practicing at all this week but merely observing practices with his teammates.

“His mindset is good,” Bowles said. “It’s just business. That’s part of it. That takes care of itself. He’ll be ready for training camp, and he’ll be ready to go.”

Per the NFL CBA, one missed mandatory workout results in a fine of $16,459, with the second practice costing $32,920 and a third missed practice resulting in a loss of $49,374, with each day treated as a separate fine. The Bucs have said multiple times this offseason that they have no intention of trading White and fully expect him to play this upcoming 2023 season, which will be the fifth year of White’s contract. Bowles and general manager Jason Licht have been particularly vocal in their support of White.

“We all have all the respect in the world for Devin,” Licht said in April.

Playing under the fifth-year option, White will make $11.7 million, but his desire is to be one of the highest-paid inside linebackers in the league. A source told ESPN that the two sides are not working on a contract at this time.