The Chicago Bears placed rookie wide receiver Squirrel White on the reserve/retired list Monday, ending his NFL stint just days after he signed with the team. White, 25, had joined Chicago on May 8 and took part in the first day of the Bears' two-day rookie minicamp over the weekend before leaving practice with the team's training staff before the second workout.

White's departure leaves the Bears without a player they had brought in to compete for a spot on the 90-man offseason roster total. The 5-foot-9, 177-pound receiver had arrived with some intrigue because of his punt return upside and his production at two major college programs, but his time in Chicago ended before the team finished evaluating him on the field.

White caught five passes for 52 yards in an injury-hampered 2025 season at Florida State after spending his previous three seasons at Tennessee, where he made 131 catches for 1,665 yards and six touchdowns. His move to retired status comes as the Bears keep adding at receiver, signing veteran Scotty Miller and undrafted rookie Kyron Hudson on Monday after both took part in minicamp on tryout basis.

Chicago's offseason receiving mix already included veteran Kalif Raymond and third-round rookie Zavion Thomas, and the team has shown a willingness to give undrafted players a path if they produce quickly. Jahdae Walker made the roster as an undrafted rookie in 2025 and reached the field before the end of the year, a reminder that the Bears have not closed the door on that route even as White's own shot ended almost as soon as it started.

For White, the timing is the striking part: a player signed only days earlier was gone before the team had even finished its rookie camp, turning a standard tryout period into a retirement notice. For the Bears, the next step is simple — sort out a deeper receiver competition without him and see whether Miller, Hudson and the rest can make a stronger case when the team resumes its offseason work.