James White On Free Agency: 'Don't Know What The Future Holds'
BOSTON (CBS) -- Through his first seven NFL seasons, James White has established himself as a premier pass-catcher out of the backfield for the Patriots. Now entering free agency for the first time, his place of employment may be set to change.
White, who will turn 29 years old in February, said Monday that he's looking forward to exploring what life is like for an NFL free agent.
"I don't know what the future holds," White said. "I've never been through free agency before. This is my first time, so I'm not even really sure what to expect. I'm not ruling anything out right now. Just relax a little bit for a couple of weeks, you know, get back to training, get my body back feeling right and see what happens. I've never been through this process before, so I'm excited to see what it's all about."
White, of course, endured a great personal tragedy this year, losing his father in a car accident, which also left his mother seriously injured. White missed two games and understandably did not have his most productive season, producing 496 yards from scrimmage with one rushing touchdown and two receiving touchdowns. He averaged 850 yards from scrimmage with 6.5 touchdowns over the previous four seasons, spiking with 1,176 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns in the Super Bowl-winning season of 2018.
"I mean I didn't necessarily have the production that I necessarily wanted to have, but it happens sometimes and I'll just use it as motivation for next season to find ways to improve, and go out there and be more productive," White said Monday.
White indicated that he's got plenty of spring left in his legs, especially considering he only had 76 total touches in his first two NFL seasons after the Patriots selected him in the fourth round of the 2014 draft.
"Most definitely. I'm still very young. Still have a lot of good football left in me. I didn't play my first couple years, so kind of knock two years off of my career shelf life," White said. "But I still have plenty of good football left me, like I said, wherever my future takes me. I'm excited about it and I'm excited to be more productive next season."
