Steelers Could Bring Former Buccaneers DB Back Home

With the Pittsburgh Steelers now in the market for a safety after trading Minkah Fitzpatrick back to the Miami Dolphins, perhaps they could look into signing a player with ties to the city.

The free agent market, as expected, is rather dry this late into the offseason as teams prepare for the start of training camp later this month. That doesn't mean there isn't any value to be found, however, and perhaps Jordan Whitehead could emerge as a target for the Steelers.

The 28-year-old is a native of the Steel City who attended Central Valley High School in Monaca, Pa., and played parts of three seasons at the University of Pittsburgh from 2015 to 2017. Whitehead shared a facility with the Steelers during that time while racking up 233 tackles and three interceptions before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

He remained with the team for the entirety of his rookie contract through 2021. Whitehead started 55 games over those four years and recorded five interceptions to go with 295 tackles while also helping the Bucs win Super Bowl LV over the Kansas City Chiefs.

The New York Jets later signed him to a two-year deal worth $14.5 million ahead of the 2022 campaign. Whitehead was teammates with current Steelers cornerback Brandin Echols throughout his entire tenure with the team while sharing a locker room with Aaron Rodgers in 2023, though the four-time MVP quarterback tore his Achilles during New York's first drive of the campaign.

Whitehead posted 186 tackles and six interceptions over 34 contests, all of which were starts, with Gang Green before returning to Tampa Bay on a two-year pact worth a base value of $9 million last offseason.

He started 12 games in his second go-around with the team in 2024, logging 79 tackles along the way, though he was involved in an automobile accident in January that resulted in a neck injury. Whitehead was subsequently cited for careless driving.

Tampa Bay opted not to exercise his option for the 2025 season, sending the seven-year veteran back to the open market.

Whitehead's health status is still a bit of an unknown, though NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported at the time of the injury that it wasn't believed to be a long-term concern.

He has spent a majority of his snaps in the NFL lining up as a free safety, per Pro Football Focus, though he also has extensive experience playing in the box and in the slot. Whitehead is adept in pass coverage and as a run defender while also racking up eight pressures last year, proving his versatility.

DeShon Elliott is entrenched as a starter at safety for the Steelers after signing a two-year, $12.225 million extension last month, but the team could use another veteran option at the position alongside both him and Juan Thornhill.

Whitehead is one of several potential targets for Pittsburgh in that regard, and perhaps it'll show interest in him somewhere down the line.