Roddy White, the Falcons’ four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, turned 33 on Nov. 2.
White, who has been slowed by various injuries this season, will be on the hot seat against the Panthers on Sunday.
With the Panthers’ defense keyed up to stop wide receiver Julio Jones, White should have several opportunities to do some major damage.
“Roddy is a guy who gives you everything that he has,” Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said. “He’s always going to compete to the fullest. You never have to worry about that.”
White is set to close out his second consecutive season packed with injuries. Last season, he played in 13 games and finished with 63 receptions. His ankle injury this season wasn’t as bad as the high ankle sprain he tried to play through without success last season. He has also missed practice time with foot, knee and hamstring injuries.
While playing in pain, White has 72 catches for 817 yards and seven touchdowns over 13 games. He didn’t play in the first Tampa Bay Bucs game on Sept. 18 or against the Arizona Cardinals on Nov. 30.
He has only had one 100-yard receiving game and has no multi-touchdown games this season.
“He’s had to battle injuries on and off all season,” Koetter said. “I don’t know that we’ve seen Roddy at his 100 percent healthiest hardly at all this year.”
White has re-written the teams’ record books and has all of the major receiving records.
From 2007 to 2012, he averaged almost 94 catches per season. He led the league with 115 receptions during the 2010 season.
White, who signed a four-year, $30-million contract extension on July 24th, may be slowing down except for his effort.
About the Author
