The Chicago Bears have worked diligently to shape their roster into a formidable, young unit this NFL offseason. As a result, they have strayed away from jumping the gun on any long-term deals like they have in year's past.
One of the biggest questions marks still on the roster is wide receiver, Kevin White. According to ESPN's Jeff Dickerson, this has led them to decline their fifth-year option of White.
The Chicago Bears will decline the fifth-year contract option on wide receiver Kevin White, a league source confirmed to ESPN.
Decisions like these have become a common occurrence throughout the league this offseason. White's situation is similar to that of Baltimore Ravens' wide receiver Breshad Perriman. Much like Perriman, White is oozing with untapped potential.
Article Continues BelowUnfortunately, their young careers have been riddled with one injury after another which has halted their development. That said, the Bears decided to save themselves from the $13.9 million cap hit it would have carried next season.
White was seen as a bonafide game-changer coming out of West Virginia thanks to his elite combination of size and speed. This spurred Chicago to take him with the seventh overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. White has since suffered a series of injuries to his left leg before a fractured left shoulder ended his 2017 campaign. As a result, he has only mustered up 21 catches for 193 yards thus far in his career.
Despite the rough start, there is still plenty of optimism surrounding his comeback this season. However, this seems to be a deciding year for White if he is looking to continue his playing career in Chicago or anywhere else.