The Tampa Bay Buccaneers informed safety Jordan Whitehead (neck) that they will not exercise his $3.75 million option bonus for the 2025 season, which will make him a free agent in a few weeks, a source told NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. A neck injury that Whitehead suffered in a car accident caused him to miss the Week 18 regular-season finale and the loss to the Washington Commanders in the wild-card round. The 27-year-old ended up suiting up to start 12 games in 2024 in his return to Tampa and had 79 tackles (49 solo) and three pass breakups in his seventh year in the NFL. It was a drop in production after he recorded a career-high 97 combined tackles and career-high four interceptions in 17 starts for the New York Jets in 2023. Whitehead is expected to be fully recovered from his neck injury in time for the start of the 2025 season, so he should be able to find a landing spot elsewhere.
According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Jordan Whitehead (undisclosed) was placed on the non-football injury list after being involved in an automobile accident earlier on Saturday. Stroud noted that Whitehead is not expected to return this season given the extent of the injuries. As a result fantasy managers should expect Kaevon Merriweather to see an uptick in playing time for the remainder of the season. Whitehead will finish the season with 79 tackles (49 solo), 30 assists, and three pass deflections across 12 contests. This is another tough blow to the Tampa Bay secondary that will already be without Jamel Dean (knee), Antoine Winfield (knee), and Christian Izien (pectoral) on Sunday afternoon. Fantasy managers in playoff competitions should continue to monitor the health of the Tampa Bay secondary as they could face a difficult task in the Wild Card round with a depleted secondary.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Jordan Whitehead (pectoral) will miss time with a pectoral injury that he suffered in the Week 12 win over the New York Giants on Sunday, but there's a chance he could return this season, according to sources. Everything will depend on how well Whitehead heals and if the Bucs are able to make a run to the playoffs. Whitehead will avoid surgery and isn't definitively out for the year. Initially, there was a fear that the 27-year-old defensive back suffered a torn pectoral muscle, which almost certainly would have ended his season. It's good news for Tampa's secondary, but they will still be without Whitehead for a significant amount of time. The former fourth-rounder in 2018 out of Pittsburgh had posted 76 tackles (47 solo) and three pass breakups in 11 games in his first year in Tampa. Mike Edwards will likely be elevated to a starting role with Whitehead out.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Jordan White (pectoral) may have suffered a torn pec in the Week 12 win over the New York Giants, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The seventh-year defensive back will undergo an MRI to confirm if it is torn, and his season will be over if that is the case. He's started in all 11 games this season and racked up 76 total tackles (47 solo), two tackles for loss, one QB hit, and three passes defended. The Bucs signed Mike Edwards last week, so he'll likely move into the starting spot if Whitehead misses the rest of the year.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Jordan Whitehead (pectoral) didn't return to Sunday's massive win over the Giants. The veteran had five tackles, including one for a loss. However, he exited the contest because of a pec injury. Of course, the concern in this case would be a tear, which would probably mean surgery. But in the meantime, Whitehead will likely undergo further testing, meaning his status for the Week 13 divisional clash with the Panthers is up in the air. If he can't suit up for that one, Mike Edwards would presumably move up the depth chart.
Free-agent safety Jordan Whitehead is signing a two-year deal worth up to $10.5 million with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as reported by NFL insider Ian Rapoport. The 26-year-old was originally selected by Tampa Bay with a fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and spent four seasons there before two years with the New York Jets. Overall, Whitehead has racked up 478 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, 11 interceptions, and 42 passes defended in 93 career games. The Buccaneers franchise-tagged All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. this offseason, so the two are set to reunite and form an excellent safety duo in Todd Bowles' defense.
New York Jets safety Jordan Whitehead (knee) is active ahead of the Week 16 matchup against the Washington Commanders. Whitehead has been limited all week in practice, but will still suit up for this game. That is great news for the Jets defense heading into Sunday's contest. Whitehead has registered 84 tackles, nine passes defended, and four interceptions in 14 games. He's expected to start alongside Tony Adams in the Jets' secondary on Sunday.
The New York Jets agreed on a two-year, $14.5 million deal with free-agent safety Jordan Whitehead on Tuesday, according to his agent, Sunny Shah. Whitehead had another solid season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021 in his fourth year with the team, totaling 73 tackles (58 solo), five tackles for loss, two interceptions, eight passes defensed and one forced fumble in 14 starts. The Jets revamped their secondary on Tuesday by adding Whitehead and former Seattle Seahawks cornerback D.J. Reed. Whitehead, 24, has 70-plus total tackles in three of his four NFL seasons after the Bucs took him in the fourth round in 2018 out of Pittsburgh.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Jordan Whitehead (hamstring) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice. Whitehead missed the opener after sustaining a hamstring injury upon clearing the COVID-19 protocols during training camp but appears set to rejoin Tampa Bay's defensive backfield. The Pittsburgh product started all 16 games for the Buccaneers defense in 2020, posting career highs in tackles for loss, nine, interceptions, two, and forced fumbles, one. Whitehead figures to be a solid contributor to a defense that ranked sixth in the league in takeaways and ninth in total fantasy points last season. Tampa Bay's unit is a fine start in Week 2 against a Falcons offense that struggled mightily in their opening game.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Jordan Whitehead (hamstring) has been ruled out for the season-opener on Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys. Whitehead was in the league's COVID-19 protocols during training camp and recently suffered a minor hamstring strain that will keep him out this week. Because the injury isn't serious, the 24-year-old defensive back will have extra time to heal up before the team's Week 2 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. With Whitehead out on Thursday, Mike Edwards is expected to start in his place in Tampa's secondary. A popular defensive unit in fantasy drafts after the Bucs won the Super Bowl last year, the Tampa Bay defense will have their work cut out for them with Dak Prescott back at the controls for Dallas.
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