Wearing a bucket hat, sunglasses, swim trunks, and slides on an unusually chilly June day in western New York isn’t the norm — but that didn’t stop recently re-signed cornerback from showing off his signature look around the Buffalo Bills’ facility.
“He brings a different kind of energy to Buffalo,” said safety Damar Hamlin in an interview with ESPN.
Hamlin joked that top star seemed like he was still on vacation. “I’ve been telling him all week — he took a little trip, and now he thinks he’s still on it. But hey, fake it ‘til you make it. You might catch me in a bucket hat and sunglasses too.”
His laid-back style is nothing new for fans. Drafted 27th overall in 2017 as Sean McDermott’s first pick as head coach, White quickly became a fan favorite. After being released last year and spending the 2024 season with the Rams and Ravens, the 30-year-old is back in Buffalo.
His final game of 2024 came against the Bills in the divisional round — in Orchard Park, no less — while playing for Baltimore. Teammates and coaches greeted him warmly before the game, but White said ending his career with a loss to Buffalo wouldn’t have sat right.
“I didn’t want my last NFL game to be on that field against the Bills. That would’ve been something I’d regret forever,” White said.
So during the offseason, White instructed his agent to contact him only if the Bills reached out.
“Being released was tough,” White admitted. “This team drafted me, and I’ve built relationships here that mean everything. It hurt that the decision wasn’t in my hands. If it had been, I’d still be in Buffalo entering Year 9 with just one team on my résumé — that was always my dream.
“But now, I have an even deeper appreciation. This place is truly special, especially to my family. It’s the only place I want to be, and I want to finish the right way.”
White’s return feels like a full-circle moment for the organization. As he rejoins the team, the Bills have just drafted cornerback Maxwell Hairston in the first round — someone they hope will be the future of the secondary, just as White once was.
Now in a different stage of his career, White brings leadership and veteran savvy to a defense undergoing changes while competing for a starting role.
Jahmile Addae, the Bills’ cornerbacks coach hired last offseason, never worked with White before. But he’d studied enough tape to feel familiar with him.
“What we saw from Tre with the Ravens looked more like the old Tre’Davious White than anything we’ve seen recently,” Addae said. “That showed us he was getting back to form physically and had a solid 2024 campaign — enough for us to feel confident bringing him back.” Addae specifically praised White’s quick reaction time and efficient movement.
“He’s still elite. Honestly, he hasn’t missed a step — and mentally, he’s probably even sharper now than when he was here before,” Addae said.
The Buffalo Bills have an open competition for the starting cornerback spot opposite Christian Benford, who signed a four-year extension this offseason. With veteran corner Rasul Douglas still unsigned in free agency, an opportunity has emerged for others — including the returning Tre’Davious White.
“Watching his film, you can really see how much Tre improved — from his early games with the Rams to how he finished the season,” said general manager Brandon Beane. “He’s further removed from injury now, and we believe in him. But we didn’t make any guarantees. That’s not how we operate. We just let guys compete. And if he earns that starting role, we’d love that — it means he’s playing at a high level.”
White, who started for Buffalo from 2017 to 2023 and earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2019, has seen his career interrupted by major injuries. After tearing his ACL in 2021, he returned briefly in 2022 before suffering an Achilles tear early in the 2023 season. Before those injuries, he had only missed three games in his NFL career.
The Bills released White during a major roster reshuffling last offseason. His stint with the Rams didn’t pan out due to ongoing recovery, but he began to look more like his old self during his time with the Ravens, appearing in seven regular-season games and two playoff contests.
This offseason, the Bills cornerback room saw notable changes. With Douglas unsigned and Dane Jackson — a 2020 seventh-round pick — returning from a year with the Panthers, where he started three games, competition is heating up. Jackson, 28, has reportedly had one of the best offseasons in camp, according to cornerbacks coach Jahmile Addae.
Coaches Sean McDermott and new defensive coordinator Bobby Babich called White’s return “surreal.” Though he wasn’t gone long, there have been some defensive changes. Babich is now running the defense, and White has embraced learning and adjusting.
“The terminology is mostly the same, so that came back quickly,” White said. “There are just a few new techniques in coverages I had to relearn. I’d say I already knew about 90% of the defense.”
White has also taken on a mentorship role, especially with rookie first-round pick Maxwell Hairston — a player walking a path White once did. “He’s like Tre White eight years ago,” Addae said.
White has been offering guidance in small doses, letting Hairston know he’s available to help. At one offseason practice, after Hairston showed visible frustration on a play, White offered support with a simple tap on the helmet — reinforcing his role as both competitor and mentor.
“I’ve come back a better player in more ways than just on the field,” White said. “I’m in a position to share knowledge with younger teammates. And for me, personally, it’s about gratitude. I appreciate the game more, and I’m thankful to be doing it with guys I consider true friends and brothers. That makes showing up to work every day something I truly enjoy.”