Chicago Bears NFL Trade and Roster Rumors: Kevin White Place on IR after Suffering a Fractured Scapula
This is going to feel like a cruel case of déjà vu for Chicago Bears fans, but it appears that Kevin White may have suffered his third consecutive season-ending injury.
The third-year wide receiver suffered a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter of the Bears' 23–17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday and it was initially feared that he might have broken his collarbone. Hours later, the Bears announced that White has been diagnosed with a fractured scapula and he has been placed on the injured reserve list for the third year in a row.
"My heart goes out to him. He was very disappointed and discouraged in the locker room after the game for obvious reasons. Our thoughts and prayers go out to him. He was pretty upset about it last night and they're doing evaluations right now," Bears head coach John Fox said on Monday, via the team's official website.
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"You can't control that stuff. Kevin is such a good football player. He's had unfortunate stuff happen to him early in his career. It won't derail the kid. It won't. I mean, if I can do it, he can do it," Zach Miller said after Sunday's game, via ESPN.
The injury may require surgery, but the Bears remain optimistic White can return to the field this season since they have the option to activate two players on the injured reserve once they are healed.
White has only played in five games since the Bears selected him with the seventh overall pick in the 2015 draft. He missed the entire 2015 season after he had surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left shin, and he also sat out most of the 2016 season after he suffered a fractured fibula.
The former West Virginia standout was given the chance to shed the injury-prone tag, and he was even projected to be Bears' top receiver this season. Unfortunately, he might have to spend another season on the injured reserve list.
