Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano did not speak with the media after practice (he gave a press conference beforehand), and the Dolphins declined to comment on White’s whereabouts, fueling speculation that the Dolphins are attempting to trade or release White. Two messages left with White’s agent have not yet been returned as of late Friday afternoon.
White’s absence was by far the biggest story of the Dolphins’ season-opening practice. White enters the season needing a good performance in training camp to prove he is worthy of an NFL roster spot. White, in his second year out of West Virginia, has taken flak in his one-plus year in the league for not being an NFL-caliber quarterback.
White was 0-for-5 passing last year out of the Wildcat formation, and rushed for 81 yards with a fumble. He had participated fully with the Dolphins during organized team activities and mini-camps in May and June, sharing backup reps with Chad Pennington and Tyler Thigpen.
The Dolphins don’t necessarily need White, with Pennington, Thigpen and Chad Henne already in camp, and Ronnie Brown healthy and ready to run the Wildcat offense again.
White got in trouble with his bosses over the summer when he said on Twitter he would rather quit football than switch to another position. White deleted his Twitter account shortly thereafter. He also had a very tense interview with the media during OTAs, giving only brief answers.