Orchard Park, N.Y. — Tre’Davious White stayed in the end zone long after the final whistle blew in the Buffalo Bills’ final game at Highmark Stadium.
White was just watching a video montage of stadium highlights, and a single tear fell from his eye.
The truth is, White probably shouldn’t even be standing on that field, in this city, and on this Bills team. Two career-threatening injuries forced Buffalo to move on from White after the 2023 season. He signed with the Los Angeles Rams, but was released after just eight games (he was inactive for the last four). He next landed with the Baltimore Ravens, but played sparingly.
When he sat down last season and began planning his future in 2025, his heart led him back to Buffalo. White signed a one-year deal worth $3 million, a significant pay cut considering he was making nearly $10 million with the Bills in 2023.
Even the most optimistic fans didn’t know what to expect from White. The Bills drafted Maxwell Hairston in the first round last April and signed No. 1 cornerback Christian Benford to a multi-year extension. White likely signed as a backup.
But Hairston failed in training camp and White started 15 of the Bills’ 17 games this season, playing 653 total snaps — his most since 2020.
White has been a stabilizing force in the cornerback room for the Bills. Benford missed time and Hairston didn’t return until Week 8.
“Very few people work as hard as Tre’Davious White,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said after White’s interception against the Cleveland Browns in Week 16. “From the time he first walked in the door to now that he’s back again, the work ethic hasn’t changed. The love and appreciation for his teammates. He’s a great person who appreciates that.”
An emotional White stood on the Highmark turf Sunday night, not thinking about his personal journey back to Buffalo. Instead, he thought of all the great players who came before him.
“I was just looking back at the whole history over time,” he said. “Man, all the great historic players that we’ve had… When you think about the stadium, you can’t think about the current players, man. You have to think about the guys that laid the foundation before us. A lot of players are going to be on this team, they’re going to be able to make memories across the street. So I think it’s appropriate to think about the guys that came before us.”
Hairston injured his ankle late in the match. The Bills’ cornerback depth was affected by some late-season maneuvering by general manager Brandon Beane. He tried to bring in veteran Darius Slay, but the former Pittsburgh Steelers DB decided not to report. The Bills released veteran Ja’Marcus Ingram to make room for Slay, but lost Ingram when the Houston Texans claimed him off waivers.
The Bills open the playoffs Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Hairston’s availability is unknown. White may need to continue to get stronger to help defend one of the hottest running and passing attacks in the NFL.
This matchup will get a lot of coverage over the next week. White didn’t want to spend much time talking about the Jaguars after the game. He still thought about the memories he made and celebrated at Highmark Stadium.
“I’ve made so many memories, man. I’ve made so many plays. So many true friendships with my teammates, too,” White said. “We’ve had a lot of meaningful games here, a lot of playoff games, too. So I think the memories will live forever, but I’ve got to make new memories. Let’s start by going to these playoffs, man, damn it. We’re in the tournament, so let’s win the whole damn thing.”
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