The Detroit Lions made a somewhat surprising move when they made linebacker Devin White inactive for their Week 3 game against the New York Jets. When you look at White’s Week 2 performance against the Bills, it was a really bad game. Bad in coverage, bad in run defense. It was rough. He did have a decent Week 1 against the Saints, although he only played 18 snaps.

Things violently shifted when White came into training camp. You could see it right away. It looked like he had earned that weakside linebacker starting job, and it looked like it was going to be pretty good. Now, after Lions coach Dan Campbell’s interview with 97.1 The Ticket on Tuesday morning, there are real questions about whether that might just do it for White in Detroit’s linebacker rotation.

Campbell’s answer was pretty telling

Campbell was asked if the linebacker rotation Detroit used against New York could be the plan moving forward. His answer left little room for ambiguity.

“I think that could trend that way,” Campbell said.

That doesn’t mean the Lions are done with White necessarily. Campbell made sure to point out that White is still here and that there are things he can do that not everybody else in that linebacker room can do. Then he got to the real reason White was inactive.

For the Lions, it comes down to the total package. Campbell said when they look at defense and special teams together, the six linebackers who dressed against the Jets are the six they can use the most right now. That’s a pretty important distinction. If you’re not Jack Campbell or Derrick Barnes and you’re not going to play a huge number of defensive snaps, you have to bring something else to the table.

The linebacker room is getting crowded

That’s where this gets difficult for White. Malcolm Rodriguez is back and can give the Lions defensive snaps while also helping them in other areas. Detroit also got its first look at another linebacker on special teams against the Jets, and Campbell came away impressed with what Amen Ogbongbemiga was able to do. He even talked about potentially getting Ogbongbemiga some defensive work moving forward.

This isn’t necessarily about White suddenly becoming a bad linebacker. It’s more about Detroit looking at the entire game-day roster and deciding that other players give them more ways to use them. Campbell pretty much said that himself. The Lions want to spread the load. They want to rotate these linebackers. They want players they trust defensively who can contribute on special teams. Right now, White appears to be on the outside of that group.

The other thing worth noting is Trevor Nowaske. He really opened some eyes in the Jets game, playing in a completely different role than we’re used to seeing from him. He’s been in that SAM linebacker role, but against New York, he helped out in a lot of other ways and just showed up. Campbell said on Monday that Nowaske is one of those players the Lions are going to give more opportunities to.

Then you have to factor in that Jimmy Rolder is going to continue getting worked in more as the season progresses. That’s just the way Detroit likes to develop its rookies.

Where does Devin White fit?

So when you add it all up, it’s pushing White out. Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes are the key players. Trevor Nowaske is rising. Jimmy Rolder is going to get more action. Malcolm Rodriguez is back. Ogbongbemiga looked good on special teams. There’s always Joe Bachie on the practice squad as a special teams contributor who could get elevated.

Right now, it just looks like there’s no clear place for Devin White to fit in. That’s a former Pro Bowler who many thought was going to return to the player he looked like in Tampa Bay. After a few weeks, that idea has kind of gone away.

Campbell didn’t close the door on White. I didn’t hear that. But when the head coach says the current setup “could trend that way,” you have to take that seriously. That’s a pretty significant development for a veteran linebacker who came into the season expected to have a role in this defense.

We’ll see where it goes. But right now, White looks like the odd man out.

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