Pat White might actually make a successful comeback into the NFL. This year both he and Vince Young are attempting to show teams that they still have what it takes to compete with top level talent. White was once considered the future of the NFL, but the Wildcat package he did so with in college had yet to be taken seriously in the NFL and he could not find his place. Now with the read-option the latest and greatest thing, White is getting interest from both the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants to be a backup.
The New York Giants are the latest team to bring White in for a private workout. The team already has their quarterback with Eli Manning and they re-signed David Carr to a new contract earlier in the offseason. White would be a situational quarterback for special packages only. The Giants have yet to really take a serious look at the read-option and White would give them some flexibility on offense with the popular new play system. Head coach Tom Coughlin has made it known that he is not a fan of the read-option, but many teams have been able to make it successful, forcing him to take another look at it.
White was a star at the read-option while at West Virginia, before it was ever popular in the NFL. When he was drafted by the Miami Dolphins, they were not able to figure out how to coach an offense around White, which ultimately led to his release in 2010. He tried his hand at the United Football League and minor league baseball before deciding another chance at the NFL was the right fit.
The San Francisco 49ers is the other team that has been heavily interested in White. With Colin Kaepernick as their starter, White would also be going for a backup role since the team traded Alex Smith. White has a similar skillset to Kaepernick so the 49ers would not have to change their offense if their starter got injured. Smith could jump right in.
Signing White is a relatively low-risk option. He will either workout or he will not. Either team can sign him for low money and see what they get from him. With the rise of the read-option, there will be a team that takes a risk on White and gives him another chance at the NFL.