Chicago Bears first round draft pick wide receiver Kevin White will remain on the physically-unable-to-perform-list the final three weeks of the season and will have to wait till 2016 to make his NFL debut, according to ChicagoBears.com reporter Larry Mayer. The Bears chose not to activate White before Tuesday's 3 p.m. deadline.
Chicago spent its seventh pick on White in the 2015 NFL Draft, and after trading wide receiver Brandon Marshall to the New York Jets this offseason, many expected big things from White in his rookie season. White was a Biletnikoff Finalist for the best wide receiver in college football in 2014 but fell short to now-Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper.
In White's senior season at West Virginia he caught 109 passes for 1,447 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound wide receiver was expected to be an instant impact player for the Bears this season. White suffered a stress fracture in his shin during OTA workouts in June and underwent surgery in August after suffering a setback while doing some light running, according to Mayer.
The Bears have been cautious with their future star wide receiver and have been adamant about not rushing him back onto the field too soon. Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2016, and if Chicago is unable to resign its 2015 leading receiver, it will need White to step in immediately as its top playmaker.
