Roddy White will only play for contender or will retire

Former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White will reportedly only want to play for a contending team in 2016 or he is prepared to hang up the spikes.

In a feature with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Jeff Schultz, former Atlanta Falcons Pro Bowl wide receiver Roddy White has come to the conclusion that he will either play for a contending team in 2016 or will ultimately call it a career if the right opportunity doesn’t present itself for the Falcons’ all-time leading receiver.

White had spent 11 NFL seasons with the Falcons after being the team’s first round pick out of UAB back in 2005. He was a favorite target of quarterback Matt Ryan and holds franchise records in receptions (808), receiving yards (10,863), and receiving touchdowns (63).

White may come up a tad short of Canton enshrinement, but remains one of the best players in Falcons’ franchise history. While he has had opportunities to join another organization, he knows two things are certain about his next career move:

1. ) “He will sign only with a team that he believes can contend for a Super Bowl, acknowledging that limits the field to ‘maybe six teams.'” While the Falcons probably don’t make that list, would White re-consider coming back to the only NFL team he has played for at the right price?

2.) “If that opportunity doesn’t come, he will retire.” White would add that he will wait until about Week 4 or Week 5 before calling it quits if nobody reaches out to him for an opportunity to play in 2016.

While these two teams like Atlanta aren’t exactly Super Bowl contenders, White does have a strong connection to two other coaching staffs outside of Flowery Branch: his former offensive coordinator and head coach in Dirk Koetter and Mike Smith have been reunited with the 2016 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. White also has two former Falcons offensive coaches of his in Nashville with Mike Mularkey and Terry Robiskie of the Tennessee Titans.

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White may have had his worst season since his rookie year in 2015 with the Falcons, but the veteran wideout is immensely competitive and could still provide tremendous value to an NFL receiving corps. While his heart is still in Atlanta, he could very well have ended up playing his last NFL game in 2015.

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