Ever since strong safety Jordan Whitehead left for the New York Jets via free agency after the 2021 season, the Bucs have been searching for his replacement. They’ve been unable to find the right player to start alongside All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. for the past two years.
But on Wednesday, they found their answer.
And they found that answer in the form of Jordan Whitehead himself. The Super Bowl LV-winning safety is re-signing with Tampa Bay on a two-year deal worth $9 million (with a max value of $10.5 million), NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported.
On Tuesday March 12, Pewter Report reported that the Bucs were interested in making a reunion happen and that the team was talking with Whitehead about re-signing with Tampa Bay.
Jordan Whitehead Is Back Where It All Began
Jordan Whitehead was originally drafted by the Bucs out of Pittsburgh in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He went on to play 3,619 snaps for Tampa Bay from 2018-2021, playing in 59 games with 55 starts. Over those four seasons, he totaled 292 tackles (222 solo), 22 tackles for loss, two sacks, five interceptions, 25 passes defensed, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Whitehead’s play really improved during the team’s Super Bowl season in 2020, when he took his overall Pro Football Focus grade from 42.9 to 70.0. That season, he racked up 74 tackles (53 solo), nine tackles for loss, two sacks and two interceptions in 16 games (all starts).
In that year’s NFC Championship Game, he delivered a big hit on Green Bay running back Aaron Jones, knocking the ball loose and setting the Tampa Bay offense up to expand the team’s lead to 28-10. But Whitehead injured his shoulder on the play, putting his status for the Super Bowl in doubt.
Only, two weeks later, he managed to suit up for Super Bowl LV and played through the game with a partially torn labrum.
Whitehead continued to ascend in 2021, totaling 73 tackles (58 solo), five tackles for loss, eight passes defensed, two interceptions and a forced fumble in 14 games (all starts).
Whitehead’s tough, hard-hitting style made him a great complement to Winfield’s do-it-all playmaking ability, and Tampa Bay is hoping that reuniting that partnership will lead to good results once again.
Jordan Whitehead Was Previously Frustrated With His Role In Tampa Bay
When his rookie deal expired after the 2021 season, Jordan Whitehead left Tampa Bay and signed a two-year deal with the Jets worth $14.5 million.
At the time, it felt like there was some frustration with the Bucs on Whitehead’s part, at least regarding his role in the defense. Whitehead was part of a safety rotation with Mike Edwards and Antoine Winfield Jr.
“I’m a team player, but I was frustrated,” Whitehead told Mike Kaye of Pro Football Network in June 2022. “I would come out on third down, sometimes. I just felt like I was making enough plays, and I was being a leader on the team. It just felt like I should have been in the game. … I’m a team player, and it’s a team-first mentality, but I definitely was frustrated. I think anybody would be.”
While Whitehead was frustrated with his role, he did speak highly of Todd Bowles and how much he learned from Tampa Bay’s defensive play caller, particularly in terms of communication.
“Each year in the league, I feel like [I’ve] been more comfortable communicating,” Whitehead told Kaye. “[Bowles] was big on his safeties, and he would be hard on us, and he would make sure we were talking. If we weren’t talking, he was going to say something.
“So, that was my biggest thing last year, being a vocal guy, communicating, getting the defense set up, and that’s what I stick to now. That’s part of my game. I want to make sure everyone is on the same page. If there’s a bust [in coverage], I put that on myself.”
Communication breakdowns have led to coverage busts all too often in recent years for Tampa Bay, so Bowles and the Bucs will certainly be hoping that Whitehead’s familiarity with the scheme and the personnel around him will fix some things up.
Bucs Reach Agreement With Safety For A Return After 2022 Departure
Whatever frustrations there were back then didn’t seem to linger, as Jordan Whitehead recently took to social media to post some of his highlights prior to the start of the free agency period. Notably, a lot of those highlights were from his days with the Bucs, leading current Tampa Bay players to respond and fueling speculation about a return to Tampa Bay.
In two years with the Jets, Whitehead racked up 186 tackles (123 solo), seven tackles for loss, half a sack, six interceptions and 17 passes defensed while starting 34 of a possible 34 games. Whitehead is set to turn 27 on March 18.
For a Bucs secondary that has lacked the ability to create turnovers (outside of Antoine Winfield Jr.), those six interceptions of Whitehead’s in the last two years may be a huge sign that relief is on the way.
After cycling through Logan Ryan, Keanu Neal, Mike Edwards, Ryan Neal and Kaevon Merriweather as potential replacements for Whitehead over the last two seasons, Tampa Bay has circled back to a reunion with Whitehead himself ahead of a crucial 2024 season for head coach Todd Bowles and Co.
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