Veteran wide receiver Roddy White, who was released by the Atlanta Falcons Thursday after 11 seasons, said he had no issue with coach Dan Quinn communicating with him via text message regarding the news.
White, who is out of the country, explained how it all transpired.
"My agent called me," White said in a text message to ESPN.com of how he found out about his release. "[Quinn] called me but I didn't answer because I was out of the country."
White didn't lash out about the team's decision to release him with two years remaining on his contract. He was, however, annoyed by the perception he failed to pick up offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan's offense last season.
"I'm cool," White said. "They don't owe me anything, and I didn't expect this to be a magical ending. I'm a football player; [Quinn] is the coach. If he feels I couldn't help the team, then I'm cool with that. But what I didn't like is when somebody said I couldn't pick up the offense. Really, they taking shots at me."
Thank you to the Falcons organization and the city of Atlanta for 11 unforgettable seasons. I will truly mi... https://t.co/mkfpxXl13e
— Roddy White (@roddywhiteTV) March 3, 2016
White, 34, saw his role diminish in the first year of Shanahan's offense last season. Julio Jones was the primary target, while Leonard Hankerson was groomed to be the No. 2 option until injuries forced the Falcons to release Hankerson. White finished fourth on the team in receiving behind Jones, running back Devonta Freeman, and tight end Jacob Tamme with 43 catches for 506 yards and a touchdown. He complained about touches early in the season, saying he didn't want to just be out there blocking people. That prompted one-on-one meetings with both Quinn and Shanahan to clear the air. But the relationship between White and Shanahan never was repaired.
The decision to release White is sure to be unpopular among fans. Team owner Arthur Blank said White "will forever be a part of the Falcons family."
Although Quinn said he valued White's leadership, it wasn't enough to keep White on the roster. And Quinn said the team did not approach White about restructuring his contract, with White due to make $4.25 million in 2016 and his cap number more than $6 million. Quinn also said the timing of the release was to allow White a chance to find a new team before the start of free agency (March 9), which was Quinn's explanation for not waiting until White returned from his trip to sit down with him personally.
Quinn believes White still has enough to play in this league and said he wouldn't be surprised to see White end up with a team located down Interstate 75 South: Tampa Bay.
Dirk Koetter, the former Falcons offensive coordinator, is now the Buccaneers coach and said White is the toughest player he's ever coached. The Bucs have two solid receivers in Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, but White's experience and savvy play could be valuable to young players such as Evans and quarterback Jameis Winston.