Fansided

49ers sign former Bears first-round pick Kevin White

By Scott Rogust

MIAMI, FL - OCTOBER 14: Kevin White #11 of the Chicago Bears warming up before the game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on October 14, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - OCTOBER 14: Kevin White #11 of the Chicago Bears warming up before the game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on October 14, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
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The former Chicago Bears bust getting another chance

What was once a strong offseason for the San Francisco 49ers has turned into a nightmare in recent months. The 49ers have lost wide receivers Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Jalen Hurd and Richie James to injury, forcing general manager John Lynch to bring in reinforcements. With Aiyuk being diagnosed with a mild hamstring strain this past Tuesday, the 49ers are giving a former first-round pick an opportunity.

According to reports, the 49ers have signed former Chicago Bears wide receiver Kevin White to a one-year contract.

White has been out of the league for the past year

Back in 2015, White was dubbed the best wide receiver in the NFL Draft, which can be attributed to his strong senior season at West Virginia (1,447 yard and 10 touchdowns). The Bears, looking to give quarterback Jay Cutler a premier weapon in the passing game, selected White with the seventh-overall pick.

White’s tenure got off to an awful start, as he missed his entire rookie campaign after suffering a stress fracture in his shin. The injury bug continued to bite White, as he fractured the fibula in his left leg in his second season and broke his shoulder blade in his third campaign. In four years with the Bears, White played in 14 games total, where he accumulated 25 receptions for 285 yards and zero touchdowns.

Last offseason, the Arizona Cardinals took a chance on White, but released him prior to the start of the regular season due to him picking up a hamstring injury.

Related Story. Maybe Deebo Samuel will be ready for Week 1 after all. light

White now has the opportunity to potentially crack the Week 1 roster with a strong training camp. But, he’ll have to outperform fellow signings Tavon Austin, JJ Nelson, Jaron Brown and River Cracraft to do so. If there’s any coach that can get the most and best out of White, it’s Kyle Shanahan. We’ll get our final verdict once the 53-man roster is revealed.