BREAKING: Super Bowl Champion Safety Rejoining Buccaneers in Free Agency
It's no secret that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers missed Jordan Whitehead's presence on the field when he left for the New York Jets in free agency following the 2021 season.
In their two seasons without him, the Bucs struggled to find a replacement who could bring the steady impact that Whitehead did at the strong safety position. That's the main reason why the team decided to pursue him in free agency, and thankfully, Whitehead was apparently just as eager to return to Tampa Bay as the team (and the fanbase) were to have him back.
According to Ian Rapoport, the Buccaneers have agreed to terms with Jordan Whitehead on a 2-year contract for $9 million, with a maximum value of $10.5 million.
Originally a fourth-round draft pick in 2018 for the Buccaneers out of Pittsburgh, Whitehead became a fan favorite in Tampa because of his highly aggressive style of play and his propensity for delivering bone-crushing hits from the strong safety position. In his four seasons as a Buccaneer, Whitehead started 55 out of 59 games, producing 229 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, two sacks, five interceptions, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.
His best season came in 2020, where Whitehead recorded 74 tackles (53 solo), nine tackles for loss, two sacks and two interceptions. His performance that season had a significant role in the team going on to win their second Super Bowl in franchise history.
While in New York, Whitehead had some big games, highlighted by a three-interception performance in week 1 vs. Buffalo this past season.
With the team unexpected to re-sign safety Ryan Neal, an obvious vacancy existed at the back end of the Bucs' defense alongside All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. During this period of free agency, both fans and Buccaneers players had been clamoring for Jordan Whitehead to return.
As it turns out, that may have been Jason Licht's plan all along.
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