Battling injuries across the linebacker position, the Houston Texans added a notable reinforcement on Wednesday, signing former All-Pro starter Devin White weeks after his release from the Philadelphia Eagles.
White, 26, had joined the Eagles on a one-year deal early in free agency. He lost a preseason competition for a starting job, however, and was subsequently a healthy scratch to open the 2024 season. The two sides then parted ways earlier this month, with White all but negotiating his own exit from the team, per ESPN.
Houston, meanwhile, is banged up on defense, where linebackers Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To'oTo'o are both nursing injuries. Starter Christian Harris also remains on injured reserve, meaning White could see immediate snaps as part of coach DeMeco Ryans' rotation.
Originally the fifth overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, White spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played a big hand in the Bucs' 2020 Super Bowl run, logging a career-high nine sacks as a blitz specialist for coach Todd Bowles. While his numbers remained relatively gaudy in subsequent seasons, he had a reported tendency to freestyle within Bowles' system, resulting in his demotion late in the 2023 campaign, his final season with Tampa Bay.
