After training camp on Tuesday July 29, 2025, Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Pete Carroll had a bold take on new Raiders linebacker Devin White.
“He’s back,” Carroll said. “He was on top of the world a few years ago and then things kind of just didn’t work out for one reason or another. He’s back in action now.”
What exactly does being “back” mean for a player of Devin White’s caliber?
Well, back to being one of the best inside linebackers in the league. The kind of player who makes over 125 tackles in a season. And, back healthy and free from nagging injuries.
A healthy Devin White at the top of his game would be a beautiful sight for Raiders fans and a terrifying one for the rest of the NFL.
Carroll Talked Up The Whole Linebacker Group
Devin White may have been the biggest name the Raiders added to their linebacker room ahead of the 2025 season, but he is far from the only impact player. As soon as Pete Carroll was hired, the LB room basically went through a total overhaul.
White is on a 1-year, $1.7 million prove-it deal with Las Vegas. If he has the kind of year Carroll seems to think he can, it will be an absolute steal to have White in Las Vegas for that price.
They also scooped up 29-year old Germaine Pratt, who the Cincinnati Bengals shockingly released after he amassed 143 total tackles in 2024, tied for tenth best in the whole NFL.
Pratt is also on a short prove-it deal, 1 year $4.6 million, and also has the makings of being a total steal for Las Vegas.
Leading the group is going to be two-time Super Bowl champion Elandon Roberts. What’s his contract like? You guessed it — a one-year prove it deal. They have Roberts on the books for 1 year and just over $3 million.
In one offseason, the rebuilding Raiders added three experienced, accomplished veterans to lead their linebacker room for a grand total of around $8.4 million.
Not only does that look like a total steal on paper, but Pete Carroll is adamant that each of these players is showing out in practice.
“We have totally changed this position group from what you’ve seen in the past,” Carroll said in that same press conference.
White Opens Up About Personal Tragedy
Devin White also took his turn at the podium on Tuesday July 29, 2025. He echoed the sentiment that he feels back and better than ever.
He also gave some context as to why his performance fell off as his stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended.
“I was going through a lot mentally,” White said. “Unfortunately, my father passed, so it kind of put me in a bad spot.”
White explained that growing up, his father was incarcerated, so they didn’t really have any kind of relationship. Recently, they reconciled, but that was only shortly before White’s father ultimately passed away.
White lost his love for football for awhile. But when his Mom told him he could quit if he didn’t feel like playing anymore, a fire lit under him. He realized he wanted to keep going.
“Give up, that ain’t me, that ain’t never been me,” White said. “I don’t want to feel sorry for myself. I just want to get out there and get back to having fun.
White now views the time he went through losing his father in a positive light. He says it helped him get closer to God. Now, he reaches out to others who are going through the same thing to help them.
Raiders fans, do you think Devin White will return to Pro Bowl form this season?
