Why the Bills Haven't Re-Signed Cornerback Tre'Davious White Yet

One question many are asking after it was declared that Dorian Strong is out for the season is why haven’t the Buffalo Bills re-signed Tre’Davious White?

White was one of the Bills' top defenders a season ago, when he was on the field for 75% of Buffalo's defensive snaps. However, White will turn 32 during the 2026 season, which may have the Bills a bit nervous about bringing back a player of such advanced age at his position.

So the answer is a bit complicated, but there are several reasons why it makes sense that the team and its 2017 first-round pick haven’t reunited. At least, not yet.

The most obvious being the team’s stable of young cornerbacks, including 2026 second-round pick Davison Igbinosun, who appears set to battle with 2025 first-round pick Maxwell Hairston for a starting job opposite Christian Benford this season. Buffalo might not want to disrupt that dynamic.

The Bills traded up to select Igbinosun with the No. No. 62 overall pick in this year’s draft and early reports from the offseason workout program have him in a true competition with Hairston, both of whom thrive in man-to-man coverage, which the Bills could deploy a lot more of under first-year defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. While White performed extremely well in former head coach Sean McDermott’s scheme in 2025, Buffalo may be looking forward to a youth movement, with Hairston and Igbinosun at the forefront of a transition to a more aggressive style of defense.

It should be noted, White led the Bills with 10 passes defensed a year ago. He appears to have plenty left in the tank. Still, he isn't getting any younger and doesn’t seem to fit with Buffalo’s apparent urge to get younger in the secondary.

Not the right time for White

Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White (27) reacts after intercepting a pass against the New England Patriots during the second half at Gillette Stadium. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

There’s also a chance that the Bills have reached out, only to be rebuffed due to potential uncertainty regarding his expected spot on the depth chart. At this stage of his career, White is likely hoping to serve in a starting role for whatever team he joins this offseason. However, the Bills have their group of youngsters in tow and that chance may not present itself as clearly as White would like it to.

Therefore, perhaps White is waiting for a team to deal with an offseason injury, suspension or otherwise to open the door for him to step in and play important snaps.

White received a coverage grade of 66.2 from Pro Football Focus a season ago, which was well above average as 44th out of 114 graded players at the position. He could feel he deserves more than a job as a reserve in what would be his 10th professional season.

With Dorian Strong out, White could be needed

Strong, who Buffalo selected with the 177th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, was lost early during his rookie season due to a neck injury that required offseason surgery and has since been ruled out for the 2026 season. With his announced absence for the upcoming campaign, the Bills are in even more dire need of depth behind Benford, Hairston and Igbinosun.

Strong performed well for the Bills during the brief time he was on the field in his rookie year. He earned a Week 1 start against the Baltimore Ravens due to preseason injuries sustained by both White and Hairston, finishing his debut with a couple of tackles while not allowing a single reception in coverage, according to Next Gen Stats.

Without his presence on the field at all this season, Buffalo must make other plans to bolster their cornerback corps, and that should include testing the waters on White over the next several weeks leading into training camp.

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