Chicago placed Squirrel White on the reserve/retired list after two-day rookie minicamp, while also signing Scotty Miller and Kyron Hudson.
One rookie spot in the Chicago Bears’ plans vanished almost as quickly as it appeared. with the team announcing that wide receiver Squirrel White has retired from the NFL at age 25 following their two-day rookie minicamp.. The decision was reflected in the team’s transaction activity on Monday. May 11. when White was moved to the reserve/retired list.
White had been brought in only recently.. The Bears signed him as an undrafted free agent on May 8. giving him an opportunity to compete during rookie minicamp over the weekend.. He took part in the first day of practice. but it was later reported that he left practice with the team’s training staff before the second workout.. By Monday, he was no longer part of the ongoing offseason roster count.
Under the transaction rules. the Bears placed White on the reserve/retired list. meaning he will no longer count toward the team’s 90-man offseason total.. Even with the retirement status, the club will still retain the rights to his NFL contract.. For a team in the early stages of building its 2026 roster picture. that distinction matters: the name may be gone from the active offseason numbers. but the contractual standing remains with the organization.
The Bears’ interest in White had been tied to his college production and specific skill set.. At 5-foot-9 and 177 pounds. he was considered a long shot to earn a spot on the 53-man roster. especially after an injury-hampered 2025 season at Florida State in which he caught just five passes for 52 yards.. Still. his prior college résumé included a much steadier output. including 131 receptions for 1. 665 yards and six touchdowns across his previous three seasons at Tennessee.
Beyond receiving, White also showed punt return potential at both schools, adding another dimension to why the Bears were willing to give him a UDFA contract. In the short term, though, he will not be part of the Bears’ depth evaluation process leading into training camp.
The timing of White’s retirement forced the Bears to adjust their wide receiver planning without slowing down the broader position-group competition.. Alongside the decision to place him on reserve/retired. the team also announced Monday that it signed two new wide receivers to its 90-man offseason roster: veteran Scotty Miller and undrafted rookie Kyron Hudson.
Miller comes in as a seven-season NFL player with 99 career receptions. a track record that gives the Bears additional experience in the bottom-roster fight behind their top starters. Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III.. Miller’s role in this phase is less about making immediate noise and more about competing for one of the remaining receiving spots through the offseason and into training camp.
Hudson, meanwhile, is a physical, big-bodied rookie out of Penn State.. After a quieter final collegiate season, he caught 23 passes.. Like Miller. Hudson joined the Bears after participating in rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. giving him a chance to build rapport and demonstrate whether he fits the team’s depth needs.
The Bears have also added more structure to their receiving room during the offseason.. They previously brought in veteran Kalif Raymond and third-round rookie Zavion Thomas. and they have returning depth available in Jahdae Walker. who made the roster as an undrafted rookie in 2025 and appeared on the field as part of the rotation before the season ended.
With all of those pieces already in place. the Miller and Hudson signings appear designed to deepen competition rather than overhaul the group.. Even with quality options behind Odunze and Burden III. the Bears’ additions likely feed into the same pool of opportunities—particularly the chance to earn something like a sixth receiver role on the team’s initial 53-man roster. if the coaching staff carries that many wideouts.
For White. the Bears’ minicamp gave him a first taste of NFL life—followed by an abrupt end before that opportunity could develop further.. For Chicago. the move to sign Miller and Hudson suggests the team is trying to keep its depth evaluation moving. ensuring the roster competition for the later receiving spots remains active as training camp approaches.
In a league where offseason chances can evaporate quickly. the Bears’ latest transaction activity shows how rapidly the roster can change between a tryout. a two-day minicamp. and the decisions that follow.. And while the club will still retain rights related to White’s contract. the 25-year-old’s decision means one former college standout will not be part of the 2026 receiving rotation the Bears were beginning to shape.
Chicago Bears Squirrel White rookie minicamp NFL retirement Scotty Miller Kyron Hudson wide receiver depth