Mike White heads into free agency for the first time this winter, and as he told the media on the Jets’ final Monday, regardless of what the future holds, the hardest part of leaving is the unknown.
“It’s tough today, because you don’t know if you’re going to be able to play with your friends again or not,” White said. “This is one of the best locker rooms I’ve been in during my entire career, not just the NFL, so you get emotional. Is this the last time I’ll see my boys? The team will look different next year whether we like it or not.”
Just as tough as being in Miami, now for the second time as a true option for the Jets, and not being able to play in front of his hometown.
“Yeah, I backed up Joe (Flacco) once (in 2020) but haven’t been able to play there; it would’ve been cool to play in front of my friends and family, but such is life,” he said.
For now, as he heads into the unknown, White and the Jets have expressed mutual interest in a return, and he’d love to be back, but he knows that nothing is certain.
“I love it here, I love the locker room, I love the offense. I’ve been here for four years and enjoy it here,” White said. “They’ve expressed interest, but I know things change fast in the NFL and things are fluid in free agency, so we’ll see how it plays out. This is my first time as a free agent, so I’m learning on the fly.”
Related
White believes he’s shown he can be a capable starter in the league, and with a lot of teams in quarterback turmoil, there’s a lot of opportunity out there – if it comes his way.
“I do think I’ve shown the ability, and I believe in my heart I can get it done,” White said. “I just want the right situation, and I’m sure that will present itself at some point.”
And, even after Zach Wilson has said he will “try to make that guy’s life a living hell” if the Jets bring in competition for him next year, White is fine if that right situation is as the Jets’ No. 2 (nominally, anyway).
“No matter what position on the depth chart you are, your number one goal should be to be a good teammate,” he said. “When you do that, everything else takes care of itself. Whatever role I’m in, I’m going to handle my business on the field. Winning cures all, and being a good teammate helps get to that goal.”
No matter what happens, after four years in New York, he’s just hoping for stability wherever he goes.
Related
“The last couple years have been so up and down and nothing’s guaranteed in this profession, so for anything, I’ll be happy just for some stability for my family,” he said.
And if it’s in New York, well, White knows the Jets are up to the task to take the next step.
“As a team, we learned a lot, especially that December and January football requires a different type of finish,” he said. “That was the theme of this season, is that we need to finish. No one plans to lose six in a row, but you try to learn from it and move on – and we got a lot of good, meaningful experience to learn from, and hope to build on next year.”
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
Listen live to WFAN via:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker
Follow WFAN on Social Media:
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch