Bears' White a team player as he navigates the road to relevancy

Not only did Kevin White catch his first two passes of the season in Week 7, including a 54-yard Hail Mary that fell a yard short of a game-tying touchdown as time expired, he got his first two targets of the season.

White's role had been limited to blocking on a handful of plays each week, not what he or anyone else expected when he was the seventh overall draft pick in 2015.

"It can be tough at times," said White, who admits to being occasionally frustrated. "Sometimes you get into looking at (demoralizing) stats or looking at what you can bring to the table. (But) whatever helps this team win I'm going to do it. Of course, as a receiver, you want the ball. I feel like I can help a lot. But I just do my job."

White has never been healthy this late in any of his previous four NFL seasons, suffering multiple leg injuries the first three years and then a fractured scapula in last year's season opener. That injury history had limited him to five career games heading into 2018. And, with the Bears adding impact skill-position players like WRs Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel, along with tight end Trey Burton, White's path to relevancy in the new offense was questionable at best. But he's persevered, impressed coaches with his work ethic and team attitude and stayed injury free.

"This is the first time (I've been) this healthy," he said. "I'm super happy about that. I just want to continue to do the little things right and take care of my body and eat the right food and just be available."

White ran a blazing 4.35 40 at the Scouting Combine prior to the draft, and at 6-foot-3 and 216 pounds, he's also got a size advantage on most defensive backs, which makes him an effective blocker, but it's more than that.

"It's just a pride thing," he said. "Man vs. man, I'm stronger, bigger and I just want to be a good team player and help (running backs) Tarik (Cohen) and Jordan (Howard) and Benny (Cunningham) and those guys get a little space."

In addition to the near-TD on his career-long catch last week, White had a 10-yard reception on the Bears' final TD drive in the fourth quarter. He also drew an illegal use of hands penalty on a third-and-5 play in the second quarter that gave the Bears a first-and-goal at the two-yard line, setting up their second TD.

Whether his Week Seven performance earns more confidence from coaches and more prominence in the offense remains to be seen.

"I always have confidence in myself," White said. "What it did for other people, I'm not sure."

Because the Bears opted not to pick up his fifth-year option, White will be a free agent at the end of this season, and he admits that he's yet to make much of an impression on potential suitors.

"I'm not satisfied with anything I've put on film," he said. "I haven't been healthy enough to go out there and compete and show what I can do. As far as the pressure, there's been pressure since I got drafted. Year One, I wanted to show (my ability); this year, I still want to show. There's always that pressure. Maybe a little more now, maybe, just because it's the last year. But that doesn't mean it's the last year playing football or being in the NFL."

The longer he stays healthy, the more promising the future will be for White, who's still just 26.