Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott has welcomed former All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White back to the organization with open arms. The fan favorite signed a one-year, $3 million contract in mid-April to rejoin the roster ahead of the recently completed 2025 NFL draft.
White spent his first seven professional seasons in Buffalo before getting released by the Bills in March 2024. He signed with the Los Angeles Rams in free agency before getting dealt to the Baltimore Ravens ahead of last year’s trade deadline. Now he’s back at 1 Bills Drive.
“Tre was and will always be an all-time favorite of mine,” McDermott told Ryan O’Halloran of the Buffalo News on Thursday. “As a player and on the field [last year], when he went to L.A. and watching him play, it wasn’t his best ball. It wasn’t the Tre White we know. And then he went to Baltimore and we started seeing an uptick in his play and his ability to move.”
White is no longer one of the league’s elite corners. A 2021 torn ACL and a 2023 torn Achilles sapped a lot of his athleticism. Yet, his vast knowledge of the Bills’ defensive scheme may still allow him to make a bigger-than-expected impact in 2025.
Bills’ Sean McDermott, Tre’Davious White Reunited
White’s Comments About Buffalo Return
The 30-year-old Louisiana native said he made it clear during discussions with his agents, Kevin Conner and Robert Brown, that returning to Buffalo was his strong preference. The reunion came as the Bills’ defense desperately needed some battle-tested depth in the secondary.
“I told my agent, ‘If you can’t get Buffalo on the line, just don’t call me,’” White told reporters during his re-introductory press conference.
Josh Allen says he didn’t know the Bills brought back Tre’Davious White until he saw him in the locker room #BillsMafia @WKBW pic.twitter.com/sv5hAR7Cyh
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) April 22, 2025
White, who earned two Pro Bowl selections during his first stint with the franchise, explained he never wanted to leave Buffalo in the first place. A return was the next-best option.
“I always wanted to play for one team my entire career,” White said. “Unfortunately, that wasn’t able to happen, but having the opportunity to come back and do it with guys that I know, that I’ve grown with, went through so much adversity with, seen me injured, come back, injured again. So having that opportunity is something that I can’t pass up. Me walking through the door yesterday, it just seemed like I never left. I just feel in place, I feel home. So for that, I’m forever grateful and I’m so thankful to be back for sure.”
Star Cornerback’s Track Record
Here’s a look at some of the accolades White accumulated during his original stay roaming the Bills defense:
- 2017: Second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting
- 2019: Pro Bowl, First Team All-Pro, fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting
- 2020: Pro Bowl, Second Team All-Pro
The LSU product was putting together another strong season in 2021. He’d tallied 41 total tackles, six passes defended, an interception, and a forced fumble in 11 games before suffering the torn ACL. White didn’t return until late in the 2022 season. He then suffered a torn Achilles tendon just four appearances into the 2023 campaign.
The cumulative toll of those serious injuries was on full display during his time with the Rams. He looked sluggish anytime he was forced to make a quick cut. He also struggled to keep pace when matched up with speedy wide receivers.
JAMO cooked Tre’Davious White #BuiltByBama pic.twitter.com/JrCaD7XN8c
—
(@fsh733) September 9, 2024
As McDermott mentioned, White did look a little better during his time with the Ravens. He still wasn’t anywhere close to peak form, though. His 52.9 overall Pro Football Focus grade is an accurate reflection of his lackluster play last season.
The Bills will hope his experience in their defensive system, which is heavy on less physically demanding zone coverages, will help cover up some of his athletic shortcomings.
Where White Fits in 2025 Bills Defense
The Bills used a straightforward approach to refresh their cornerback room. Christian Benford and Taron Johnson will return to their normal roles on the perimeter and in the slot, respectively. McDermott and Co. will allow the No. 2 corner spot to figure itself out during training camp.
Buffalo will hope first-round pick Maxwell Hairston takes the job and never looks back. It signed White and fellow returnee Dane Jackson as insurance policies, though. Both players are well-versed in the scheme and can step in at a moment’s notice.
White should be the next man up if the coaching staff decides Hairston needs some development time. Even if that’s the case, however, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see more of a rotation at the position to keep the veteran out of situations where he’ll be stuck one-on-one with a burner.
Christian Benford on the return of Tre’Davious White
“I think they are getting us all back together to win a championship” pic.twitter.com/BCTmv4r7tp
— SleeperBills (@SleeperBills) April 18, 2025
Here’s one other idea to keep in the back of your mind: White moving to safety.
The Bills are currently trending toward a wide-open competition for the two starting safety spots. Cole Bishop, Taylor Rapp, and Damar Hamlin are the main contenders. Darrick Forrest and versatile rookie Jordan Hancock could also enter the conversation.
White has never played safety at the NFL level, so making the transition now is a long shot. That said, it can’t be completely ruled out, especially if the safety group’s early camp returns suggest it’ll be just as big of a problem for the Bills defense this season as it was in 2024.
A position change could be the one way to extend his career a few extra years, too.
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