An injury sustained in a car accident sidelined Jordan Whitehead for the Buccaneers’ final two games, and the team ended the safety’s second Tampa stint before a roster bonus was due. Whitehead’s rehab process, however, has wrapped months later.
The veteran safety received full clearance recently, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo, who reports the Falcons are hosting him on a visit Wednesday. Whitehead has extensive familiarity with the Falcons’ new defensive system, having played under new Atlanta DC Jeff Ulbrich with the Jets.
The Bucs gave Whitehead a two-year, $9MM deal to return after his two-season Jets tenure. New York did not place a top priority on retaining Whitehead in 2024, but the team was interested in retaining him. The parties separated after Whitehead played out a two-year, $14.5MM Jets accord. Last season did not go well for Ulbrich or Whitehead, with the latter missing time due to a separate injury — a pectoral malady — before the car accident scuttled his return.
Whitehead suffered a neck fracture in the crash, the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud reports. He had been on the way to practice before the Bucs’ Week 18 game. Overall, Whitehead missed six games during his second Bucs stint. The veteran starter, though, should have some quality football left, provided he can return successfully from this injury. The former fourth-round pick is heading into an age-28 season, and he made key contributions in both Tampa and New York.
One of the many DB draft picks GM Jason Licht made from 2018-20, Whitehead started every game alongside Antoine Winfield Jr. during Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl LV-winning season. For his career, the Pitt alum has 101 starts. Licht lamented letting Whitehead walk in free agency, but he helped the Jets during that short stint. The Jets rocketed from last place defensively in 2021 to fourth in 2022. They ranked third in total defense in 2023; Whitehead started all 34 Jets games during his tenure.
The Falcons did not re-sign Justin Simmons, capping that partnership at one season, but did make multiple offseason additions at safety. The team signed Jordan Fuller, who played under Raheem Morris with the Rams, and used a third-round pick on Xavier Watts. Whitehead would bring considerable experience alongside Jessie Bates, however. It will be interesting to see if more teams reach out to the recovering safety. The Bucs moved Tykee Smith to safety this offseason, putting the second-year DB in position to replace Whitehead.