WR Kevin White, Chicago Bears rookies must earn starting roles

By foxsports
Published

John Fox has typically been reluctant to start rookies during his 13-season tenure as an NFL head coach. A new team has not changed the 60-year-old coach's philosophy, as his Chicago Bears prepare for the 2015 season.

For example, Bears wide receiver Kevin White, the seventh-overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, has been relegated to second-team duty behind Alshon Jeffery, Eddie Royal and Marquess Wilson, according to John Mullin of CSN Chicago. White says he'll be ready to run first-team reps whenever his time comes, but he's also remaining patient in his preparation.

"Oh yeah, yeah, I'm ready, I just have to get better, and everything will take care of itself," White told CSN Chicago. "I'm not looking too far ahead, though."

The only rookie currently getting some starting looks, Mullin notes, is nose tackle Eddie Goldman, a second-round selection out of Florida State. Like White, Goldman will have to prove that he belongs in the lineup.

Fox told CSN Chicago that, in some cases, he has entrusted a starting job to a rookie, citing pass-rusher Julius Peppers, who the Carolina Panthers selected second-overall in 2002—Fox's first season as a head coach.

(h/t CSN Chicago)

Photo Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski/USA TODAY Sports