Devin White made the most out of his first chance at career redemption in Las Vegas.
The new Raiders linebacker led the team in tackles with 11, helping Vegas to a 20-13 victory over the New England Patriots in Foxborough on Sunday.
"He was a hammer. He looked good. I was really excited that his presence was so obvious," Raiders head coach Pete Carroll said, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "He's had a couple years where his game hasn't been at that level that he played at yesterday, and so he's just getting going and had fun playing. He handled a lot of communication, and he hit the heck out of it. So that was really encouraging, really fired up for him."
Seeing increased snaps after starting linebacker Elandon Roberts left early with an injury, White flew around the field on Sunday, looking the best he has since his 2021 Pro Bowl season. Of his 11 total tackles, eight were solo, and he added a tackle for loss.
A 2019 first-round pick, White saw his time in Tampa Bay come to a crashing end in 2024 after his playing time waned under Todd Bowles. After the Bucs let him walk, he signed with the Eagles last year but never played a snap. He ended the campaign as a backup in Houston.
This offseason, Bucs general manager Jason Licht offered a stinging review of White's tenure in Tampa, saying he wished he’d never drafted the linebacker.
However, Raiders GM John Spytek, who was in Tampa from 2016 to 2024, took a chance on White, bringing him to Vegas. So far, so good.
"For me, it's a great start," White said. "It's just one game, but we can build off this with momentum and energy. Individually, it doesn't mean much to me. I just have to get back to the drawing board and be consistent with what I put out today because I can be that person all year. I played at a high level for a long time. Had a couple setbacks, but I don't dwell on the past. I focus on the future and the controllables, and that means going in tomorrow and getting ready for the next one."
The Raiders defense entered the season with a host of question marks, including in the middle of the defense, where the club lost Robert Spillane in free agency. It's just one game, but if White can continue to be that hammer, it will help the Raiders significantly as they attempt to build on Week 1.
