Patriots RB James White announced his retirement from the NFL after eight seasons.
White was drafted by the Patriots in 2014 and played all eight seasons of his career in New England. White rushed only 355 times in his entire career, including the playoffs, totaling 1,424 rushing yards and 16 TDs. White’s value came primarily as a dynamic receiver out of the backfield. In his six seasons with at least 14 games played, White never had less than 40 receptions, peaking with an 87-751-7 regular season receiving line on 123 targets in 2018. White also appeared to get better with age. His yards per route run increased in every season from 2017-2021 and he finished with an elite 2.11 YPRR over his final two seasons. White’s final season was cut short by a hip injury, and the Patriots signed Ty Montgomery in the offseason as an apparent contingency plan. Montgomery, a former wide receiver, will likely play a similar role in the offense this season. Formerly a Day 3 pick out of Wisconsin, White will be remembered as a key contributor for multiple Super Bowl teams, most notably posting a 14-110-1 receiving line on 16 targets and a 6-29-2 rushing line in the Patriots’ 34-28 come from behind victory over the Falcons.