Mike White, recently elevated to the Carolina Panthers’ 53-man roster, is preparing for a potential role as backup quarterback amid injuries to Bryce Young and Andy Dalton. White joined the team last week after Young suffered an ankle injury in Week 7 against the Jets. With Dalton injuring his thumb early in Sunday’s game against the Bills, White remains in Charlotte and has taken on a larger role in practice.
On Tuesday, Carolina added White to the active roster. While Young is practicing as a full participant, he is still recovering from his injury. Dalton’s thumb issue has limited his participation, making White’s eight years of NFL experience valuable for the backup position.
White discussed how being elevated changes his preparation: “Realistically, you’d like to say no because you want to have that same process,” he said. “But I mean the reality of it as a year eight veteran, yeah, it changes. There is now an actual possibility you can go in the game, whereas P-squad obviously you can’t, so it adds that layer of it. But I mean, I’ve tried to stay consistent to my process that I’ve kind of learned throughout my journey in this league.”
He explained that having more time on the field has made learning the playbook easier: “It’s way better to be able to go out on the field and run a play rather than trying to learn it off of an iPad screen,” said White. “You can draw things up a certain way on an iPad, but anyone who’s played in an actual game knows that it’s never exactly how it looks on a playbook.
“So that stuff was nice to be able to get in and just be able, honestly, just to say the play in the huddle and just spit it out and work on that and just the mechanics at the line and silent count, all that good stuff that you don’t really get if you’re not the one or two.”
White has spent most of his time studying since arriving in Charlotte: “My wife and kids are at home, so that’s basically it right there,” he said. “I got nothing to do. My golf clubs are at home too. That’s really what it is. I removed all possible distractions and just feels like I’m in college again, just come to the facility here, get done with the day, go back to the (hotel), and just basically study; I study and order some food.”
In addition to football preparation, White continues following baseball—a sport he nearly pursued professionally before choosing football due to scholarship opportunities: “I still feel like I’m a baseball player facading as a football player,” he joked. “It’s what I grew up loving, like that was my dream was to play in the MLB. Granted, I love the NFL. I’m really glad I picked it, but there’s still that little kid inside me that just wants to go shag fly balls.”
White credits his baseball background with helping him adapt as a quarterback: “Every arm angle you use throwing a baseball, I think, has helped me in football,” he explained. “And we see how those pockets look on Sunday. Very rarely do you get to just take a drop step and throw without someone in your face. So I like to think that helped me.”
With both Young’s status uncertain and Dalton limited by injury this week during practice sessions ahead of Sunday’s game against Buffalo (Week 8), White could see playing time if needed.
As he prepares for Sunday’s matchup—and watches Game 6 of the World Series—White reflected on rooting interests: “It’s hard, right because you want to root for America but it’s the Dodgers; it’s the evil empire,” he scoffed. “So I think I lean Blue Jays.”
