Kevin White return in ’17 unlikely, but latest recovery gaining steam

Bears receiver Kevin White is unlikely to return this season, even though he has spent the required six weeks on injured reserve after suffering a broken left shoulder blade in the season opener.

Still, receivers coach Zach Azzanni said he is glad to see White take a step toward an eventual return.

‘‘He’s been in [meetings] here the last couple of weeks . . . because getting healthy was more important than learning football,’’ Azzanni said. ‘‘And he’s been doing well. He’s been in there studying and grading film and into it again, which is neat to see.’’

White will be challenged on multiple levels in his latest comeback. Not only must he prove he can stay healthy, but he must prove he’s still the athlete the Bears drafted with the seventh overall pick in 2015.

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Coming off a second consecutive season-ending injury in 2016 — a fractured fibula suffered in Week 4 — White didn’t make a big impression in training camp and the preseason.

‘‘I don’t know, I can’t answer that,’’ Azzanni said. ‘‘I know he was coming along pretty darn good before he got hurt [in the season opener]. You saw the signs more consistently. When you stack practices over practices over practices over some preseason games, you’re starting [to think], ‘OK, you see more signs.’ Not just little ones, but more, more, more signs. And then he gets hurt.

‘‘We all saw the tools in college. We all know what he can be. Whether or not he’s going to be that as a pro, time will tell. Let’s battle through this injury, take one game at a time and work to get back on the field first and then go from there.’’

Barring a surprising comeback this season, White will have played in only five of 48 games in his first three NFL seasons — only three from start to finish.

‘‘I was heartbroken for him more than anybody else,’’ Azzanni said. ‘‘More than for me as a coach or for our offense or the Chicago Bears, I was heartbroken for him. I know how badly he wanted to prove that he can play in this league.

‘‘The kid’s taken a lot of criticism, and you root for him to prove everyone wrong. I was his biggest fan: ‘Let’s go prove everyone wrong. Let’s go show all these critics what you can do.’ And then to go down like that, one more huge hurdle for him, it broke my heart.’’

The Bears still hope to upgrade their receiving corps in the second half with the addition of Dontrelle Inman, who was acquired from the Chargers for a conditional draft pick. Markus Wheaton, who has missed the last three weeks with a groin tear, might return later in the month.

Follow me on Twitter @MarkPotash.

Email: mpotash@suntimes.com