Kevin White Headed to IR with Ankle Injury
The Chicago Bears received some bad news about Kevin White and his injured ankle.
The only luck Kevin White has is bad luck.
After missing his entire rookie season with a shin injury, White is going to miss multiple games after suffering an injury to his ankle on Sunday against the Detroit Lions.
#Bears players expect the ankle injury suffered by #Bears WR Kevin White to keep him out an extended period of time, I'm told. More bad news
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 5, 2016
While the Chicago Bears have issued no official statement on White’s condition, the Rapoport report is disheartening to a team that was looking to turn the corner after earning their first win of the season against Detroit.
While Rapoport doesn’t suggest a specific length of time, “extended period” makes you think that he will be out more than just a couple weeks.
As news progressed throughout the day, worst fears were confirmed as it was reported that White was headed to IR.
Bears WR Kevin White suffered a severe high ankle sprain that resulted in a fracture in his fibula. He will go on IR.
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) October 5, 2016
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The Bears’ offense looked to be turning a corner last week against Detroit. Losing White is going to hinder their progress without a doubt. Even more so, it’s going to hurt White’s progress. He had been steadily improving after a rocky start to his career against the Houston Texans.
With White headed to the IR, it leaves the Bears thin at WR. Depending on how he’s recovering, perhaps Marquess Wilson could take some of the reps vacated by White when he’s eligible to return off the PUP list in two weeks. The Bears could also consider elevating rookie Daniel Braverman to play slot and use Eddie Royal more in Kevin White’s role.
The Bears have not ruled out a return this season for White, but that wouldn’t be until the month of December. The Bears are only permitted to bring one player back from IR per season, which means either Kyle Fuller or White will not see another snap this season.
After another setback, White is going to start having the “injury-prone” label tossed around. It’s an unfortunate predicament for the West Virginia product who is no doubt frustrated with his situation. Fortunately, this injury is not related to last season’s shin issue. Hopefully this is just two isolated incidents and not a sign of things to come. But at this point, it’s tough not to be down on the long term viability of Kevin White with the Bears.
Bill Zimmerman is an editor and featured writer for FanSided‘s BearGogglesOn. Like his Facebook page or follow him on Twitter for more news and interaction.