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Surgery could wipe out NFL rookie season for Bears' White

BOURBONNAIS — The Chicago Bears' first-round draft pick, Kevin White, will have surgery to stabilize the small stress fractures (shin splints) in his lower left leg that have kept the wide receiver off the practice field for more than eight weeks.

He will miss at least the first six weeks of the season and could end up not playing at all in 2015.

“Honestly, is there a chance that he misses the season?” general manager Ryan Pace said. “That's a possibility. I want to make sure we do this the right way, not rush him back. Sometimes I feel like you have to protect them from themselves.”

Pace made the announcement shortly before the start of Saturday's practice. The Bears can wait until the 11th week of the season to activate White. If they haven't done so by then, he would move to the injured reserve list, ending his season.

The explosive, 6-foot-3, 217-pound wide receiver was being counted on to contribute early after being drafted seventh overall out of West Virginia, Pace's first-ever draft pick for the Bears. The rookie originally suffered the injury to his tibia, the larger of the two bones in the lower leg, during OTAs and was shut down. He was pain-free when training camp began in late July and began light running last week. But he quickly suffered a setback, leaving the Bears with the worst-case scenario: surgery.

There is not yet an exact date for the operation, but it will occur in the next few days and involves the insertion of a metal rod through the tibia, which stabilizes the lower part of the leg.

“For his long-term future, the best course of action is going to be to perform surgery to stabilize the stress fracture,” Pace said. “That'll insure a high success rate with this injury.

“Our whole focus is his long-term health. I know he's going to be a great player for the Chicago Bears. I want to make sure that we protect him. He's disappointed; he's dying to get out there.”

The Bears have steadfastly refused to call White's injury anything more than a “shin,” and had hoped that extended rest would be enough to heal the injury, which is usually the case.

“A lot of times these stress fractures heal on their own, so that was our plan going forward,” Pace said. “That was our hope going forward, and that's why we had him stay off it for the summer months.”

Based on his spectacular 2014 season with the Mountaineers (109 receptions, 1,447 yards, 10 touchdowns), the Bears had hoped for a best-case scenario in which White would be their No. 2 wide receiver behind Pro Bowler Alshon Jeffery. Worst case, White would be a solid contributor as a No. 3 behind Jeffery and eighth-year veteran Eddie Royal.

Now it appears that the No. 3 wide receiver spot is 2013 seventh-round pick Marquess Wilson's to lose.

White has no history of shin problems and said he received a clean bill of health after extensive poking and prodding at the Scouting Combine, which Pace confirmed. White had shown no hint of an injury until one of the June OTAs (organized team activities).

“It wasn't a specific play where I said, ‘Ah, there it is,' “ Pace said. “At rookie minicamp and the beginning part of OTAs (he was) explosive, sudden, and we're all fired up. Later (in) OTAs, we all noticed it on the same day, ‘Hey, he's limping.' And, as we looked into it further, there's a small stress fracture down there.”

Although White is eligible to return after six games, Pace is leaning toward a cautious approach.

“That's a possibility,” the GM said of a quick return. “But I want to be safe with this. I want to do the right thing for his long-term success.”

The Bears' depth at wide receiver is further diminished by the calf strain that has Jeffery in a walking boot and on crutches. The injury will keep him out of the joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts Wednesday and Thursday but isn't expected to linger.

• Follow Bob's Bears and NFL reports on Twitter@BobLeGere.

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