ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — On an unseasonably chilly June day in western New York, cornerback Tre’Davious White strolled through the Buffalo Bills facility in a bucket hat, sunglasses, swim trunks, and slides — attire more suited for a beach than the team’s headquarters. But for White, it’s a signature look, and as teammate Damar Hamlin joked, “He brings a different temperature to Buffalo.”
Hamlin added with a laugh, “He took a little vacation, and I told him, he just thinks he’s still on vacation. But you got to fake it ’til you make it. So, you might see me in a bucket hat, some sunglasses.”
White, the Bills’ first draft pick under head coach Sean McDermott back in 2017, has long been a fan favorite in Buffalo. After being released by the Bills last year and spending time with the Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens in 2024, the veteran cornerback is back where his NFL journey began.
Ironically, White’s final game last season came in Orchard Park — as a Raven in the divisional round. Several former teammates and coaches greeted him warmly before the game. Still, the idea of ending his career with a postseason loss to Buffalo never sat right with him.
“I didn’t want my last game playing in the NFL to be on that field against the Buffalo Bills,” White said. “That would have been terrible. That would be something terrible that I had to deal with for the rest of my life.”
So this offseason, Tre’Davious White, now 30, gave his agent one clear instruction: only call if Buffalo was on the line.
“I know it’s a business, but [getting released] was hard,” White admitted. “This is the place that drafted me. So many relationships that I really cherish for a lifetime. It was hard because it wasn’t something that it was just up to me.”
What stung most for White was the lack of control over the situation — being cut by the only team he’d known.
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“That was the thing that hurt me the most,” he said. “’Cause I felt like, if it wasn’t that way, that I’d still be a Buffalo Bill going into Year 9 with one hat under my name, and that’s something that I always wanted.”
“But moving forward, I got a bigger appreciation. Man, this place is so special — so special to my family too — that this is the only place that I really want to be and do it the right way,” said Tre’Davious White, reflecting on his return to Buffalo.
His re-signing marks a full-circle moment for both White and the Bills. Not only does it bring back one of the franchise’s most beloved defenders, but it also coincides with a symbolic passing of the torch: Buffalo used a first-round pick this offseason on cornerback Maxwell Hairston, a player they hope will grow into a foundational piece—just as White did when he was selected in 2017.
Now in a different phase of his career, White returns with perspective, leadership, and the chance to compete for a starting role on a defense that has seen notable turnover. His presence offers veteran stability and a familiar face as the Bills look to blend experience with youth in their secondary.
Bills cornerbacks coach Jahmile Addae may have never coached Tre’Davious White before, but he didn’t need a formal introduction to understand what the veteran brings to the table. Hired last offseason, Addae missed White’s original stint in Buffalo — but became familiar with his game through film.
“What we saw on tape [with the Ravens] was closer to the old Tre White than what anybody had seen in recent years,” Addae told ESPN. “That kind of told us that, hey, he was flicking things back up and the body was feeling really good.”
Addae said White’s resurgence in 2024 gave the coaching staff confidence in bringing him back. What stood out most? His trademark twitch — the quick, efficient movement and sharp mental processing that once made him an All-Pro.
“He’s elite and he still is,” Addae added. “Not only has he not skipped a beat, but probably better [mentally] for the amount of time he’s played in this league than he was his first time around.”
The Buffalo Bills have a wide-open competition for the starting cornerback spot opposite Christian Benford, who recently signed a four-year extension. With veteran Rasul Douglas remaining unsigned, there’s a clear opportunity for someone to step into a key role—and Tre’Davious White is firmly in the mix.
General manager Brandon Beane spoke optimistically but realistically about White’s return. “Felt like, if you watch his film, [White has] really improved from the start of the year with the Rams to how he played down the stretch,” Beane said. “He’s another year off of the injury. So, we have a lot of confidence in Tre, but no promises were made. We don’t really do that a lot anyway. We’re … just roll the ball and go. But yeah, we’re pulling for him, and would love nothing more if he wins the starting job. That means we feel good with him.”
White was a mainstay in Buffalo’s secondary from 2017 to 2023, earning first-team All-Pro honors in 2019. His career trajectory was disrupted by two major injuries: a torn ACL on Thanksgiving 2021, followed by a torn Achilles four games into the 2023 season. Before those setbacks, he had missed just three games in his career.
After being released during Buffalo’s offseason overhaul, White spent time with the Rams and Ravens while continuing his recovery. Though his stint in Los Angeles was brief, coaches noted visible progress in Baltimore, where he played in seven regular-season games and two playoff contests — and flashed glimpses of the All-Pro form he once displayed.
Now back in Buffalo, White enters a pivotal camp with a chance to not only secure a starting job, but to re-establish himself as a veteran leader on a retooling defense.
The Buffalo Bills’ cornerback room has undergone a notable transformation this offseason. Rasul Douglas remains unsigned in free agency, while the team brought back 2020 seventh-round pick Dane Jackson, who spent 2024 with the Panthers, starting three games and appearing in nine. Cornerbacks coach Jahmile Addae praised Jackson for having “one of the stronger [offseason] camps,” giving him a real shot in a competitive group.
The return of Tre’Davious White has added both emotion and leadership to the mix. Despite only spending a season away, head coach Sean McDermott and new defensive coordinator Bobby Babich called having White back in the building “surreal.” While Babich has taken over the play-calling and some tweaks have been made, the defense’s terminology remains largely the same — making White’s transition back smoother.
“Terminology was easy to get back in, because the verbiage is still the same,” White explained. “I 90% knew everything… [the rest was] just different techniques we do in some of the coverages.”
Now a seasoned vet, White has embraced a mentor role, particularly for rookie first-round pick Maxwell Hairston — someone Addae described as “Tre White eight years ago.” White has quietly provided guidance and support, offering small bits of advice and encouragement. One standout moment came when Hairston showed visible frustration after a rep and White calmly tapped him on the helmet in solidarity.
White emphasized that his return isn’t just about reclaiming a starting job — it’s also about perspective. “I feel like coming back as a better player, it’s so many different ways than just on the field,” he said. “It brings a more gratefulness and just like appreciation for the game and for the people that I do it with… these guys here are just like genuine friends and genuine brothers.”
As training camp approaches, the Bills have a wide-open battle for spots in the secondary. But with his experience, leadership, and renewed outlook, Tre’Davious White is positioned to be both a contributor and a culture-setter in Buffalo’s evolving defense.
