As the Buccaneers’ offseason blueprint brings a heavy retention vibe, they will bring back another familiar face. After two seasons with the Jets, Jordan Whitehead is coming back to Tampa.
The six-year veteran safety will rejoin the Bucs on a two-year deal that can max out at $10.5MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. In base value, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports Whitehead will be tied to a two-year, $9MM deal that features $4.5MM guaranteed at signing. This checks in south of Whitehead’s Jets deal (two years, $14MM) from 2022.
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A 2018 Bucs draftee, Whitehead was a regular for four seasons before departing for New York. He will return to play alongside franchise-tagged safety Antoine Winfield Jr. The Jets expressed modest interest in retaining Whitehead but did not view the two-year starter as a top priority. As for the Bucs, they wanted to retain Whitehead in 2022, ESPN’s Jenna Laine tweets.
Whitehead started all 34 Jets games over the past two years. In 2023, he stood out in an ugly season for the team. Whitehead intercepted four passes — three in the team’s season-opening win over the Bills — and broke up nine more. Pro Football Focus rated Whitehead 39th among safeties last season. But Whitehead is better remembered for his Buccaneers contributions.
Whitehead started all four playoff games for the Super Bowl LV-winning team, forcing two fumbles during that four-game bracket, and has posted at least two INTs in each season this decade. He teamed with Winfield as a starter during the Bucs’ romp over the Chiefs, a win that has aged better given the AFC power’s accomplishments since, and started 55 games for the team since joining Winfield, Carlton Davis, Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting as Day 2 draft investments in the Bucs’ secondary.
Despite being a six-year veteran, Whitehead will be 27 throughout the 2024 season. Ryan Neal, who joined Winfield as a starter last season after the Seahawks parted ways with him, is a free agent. This clears the runway for Whitehead to reprise his role alongside the All-Pro talent.
Outside of a great three-interception game to start the season, this is pretty much addition by subtraction for the Jets. He got beaten way too often. Hopefully, it’s good for him in Tampa. As of now, I think the comp picks for next year for the Jets cancel out for the Jets and they used one from this year in the Moses trade, but they still have Mr. Irrelevant. Watch it be Sam Hartman, the next Brock Purdy! LOL
Glad he is back, he was the force for them and emotion.
Whitehead was a hitter when he was with the Bucs and they’ve missed his toughness. Welcome home JW!