Bears Rookie Abruptly Retires 2 Weeks After Signing With Team

After trading D.J. Moore to the Buffalo Bills earlier this offseason, the Chicago Bears had a hole to fill at wide receiver.

The team drafted Zavion Thomas out of LSU in the third round of the 2026 NFL draft, and it signed Kalif Raymond from the division rival Detroit Lions back in March - though he's more likely to fill a void as kick returner than as a pass-catcher.

Chicago also signed undrafted free agent Squirrel White to add more competition in training camp - the only problem is White won't be there to participate.

Just 16 days after signing with the Bears, White was placed on the reserve/retired list, ultimately ending his NFL career before it even started.

It's not known why exactly White retired so quickly, but some have pondered it could be injury related after a report from ESPN's Courtney Cronin on Monday.

"RE: Squirrel White's abrupt retirement. I was walking into the Walter Payton Center Saturday as he was exiting the practice field with a trainer. This was during stretch. He did not return for practice," Cronin posted on X.

White, a three-star recruit in the class of 2022 according to 247Sports, spent the first three seasons of his college career with the Tennessee Volunteers. He recorded 131 catches, 1,665 yards, and six touchdowns during that time.

He transferred to Florida State for his senior year, though he didn't make any kind of impact, totaling just five receptions for 52 yards in 10 games last year.

With Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus (Atlanta Falcons) playing for different teams, the bulk of Chicago's targets will likely go to Rome Odunze and Luther Burden. Behind them, Thomas, Scotty Miller, Jahdae Walker, Raymond, Kyron Hudson, and Omari Kelly presumably will battle for the WR3, WR4, and WR5 spots.

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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 12:44 AM.