A father getting to work with his son is the dream. Until it’s time for one of them to go. Such was the case for Sheldon White and son Cody White. Sheldon, the Steelers director of pro scouting and Cody, a practice squad wide receiver. Cody got there first, signed in 2020, while his dad was among GM Omar Khan’s first hires after taking over in May 2022.
In most cases, when a player is cut, Sheldon is the man they go through. When it came time for Cody to be released, Khan made sure to avoid an awkward situation.
Now playing for the Seattle Seahawks, White spoke with 93.3 KJR’s Gregg Bell to outline how his time in Pittsburgh ended.
“He normally does the cutting in Pittsburgh,” Cody White told Bell of his father. “He’s the director of pro scouting. But [the] GM wouldn’t allow him. So Omar was the one who ended up cutting me. He wouldn’t let my dad be the one to cut me out of Pittsburgh.”
White first signed with Pittsburgh shortly after the 2020 season began, inking a deal to its practice squad. Over the next two-and-a-half years, he bounced between the 53-man roster and practice squad. When given a helmet, he mostly played on special teams, though he caught five passes in 2021. Versatile, White typically had strong training camps that kept him around. And while many think nepotism played a role, most of White’s time with the team was spent before his dad was hired. In fact, it was only months after Sheldon White took the job that Cody was out the door.
White was waived/injured in August 2023 shortly after the team’s preseason contest against the Buffalo Bills. It was a surprise announcement, White seemingly healthy, and there was never any clarification of his injury. Four days later, the team cut him from its injured reserve list, making him a free agent. That, presumably, is when Khan stepped in to deliver the news.
“It was mostly professional,” White said of his conversation with Khan about getting cut. “Never take anything personal.”
A classy gesture from Khan to avoid putting White’s father in that situation. Sheldon remains in Pittsburgh’s front office while Cody is competing for a spot on the Seahawks’ 53-man roster. He spent part of last season on their practice squad and if he can’t make Active/Inactive roster, could land on the taxi squad again. Hanging around just like he proved he could do in Pittsburgh.
