An incredible comeback.
NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo revealed on social media that former New York Jets safety Jordan Whitehead “has been fully cleared to resume his football career post-neck surgery by Alex Vaccaro, his surgeon and the Eagles’ spine specialist. Whitehead had recent workouts with the Colts and Texans and is expected to meet with more teams soon.”
“He was seriously injured in a two-vehicle car crash in Tampa on Jan. 4, 2025, and missed last season,” Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk wrote.
A Memorable Run With the Jets
Whitehead, 29, entered the league as the No. 117 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL draft.
He spent the first four years of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, highlighted by a Super Bowl championship.
In 2021, he departed in free agency, signing a two-year $14.5 million contract with the Jets. He spent two years with the green and white.
During that run, he started 34 games. With those opportunities, Whitehead recorded six interceptions, 17 pass deflections, a half sack, seven tackles for loss, and 186 total tackles.
The most memorable game for Whitehead with the Jets came in the 2023 season opener against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football.
He picked off Josh Allen three times, and the defense as a whole created four total turnovers. Whitehead’s three interceptions set a new single-season career high in the very first game of the 2023 campaign. He also earned a $250,000 bonus for hitting his season-long incentive against the Bills in the season opener.
The Jets upset the Bills, winning 22-16 on a walkoff 65-yard punt return touchdown by Xavier Gipson.
It was an emotional rollercoaster for the Jets. That was the same game in which Aaron Rodgers blew out his Achilles tendon four snaps into the game. Rodgers didn’t play another game that season for the Jets.
Should the Jets Be Interested in a Reunion?
Whitehead is healthy and is garnering interest from an array of teams. Should the Jets kick the tires?
I wouldn’t call the safety position a strength if you looked over the depth chart, but there also isn’t a ton of room to add someone.
The Jets have a five-man safety group on the 91-man roster:
You could make a strong case that all five players are going to make the final 53-man roster. As a matter of fact, I made that very case when I made my way too early 53-man roster prediction.
Head coach Aaron Glenn, who will be calling the defense this year, will likely employ a variety of three-man safety looks on defense. Most teams carry four safeties on the roster. A pair of free safeties and a pair of strong safeties. Some of the more creative teams go beyond that and can carry a big nickel or just more guys in general in the room.
Whitehead deserves another shot in the NFL, but it doesn’t feel like that would be a perfect fit with what the Jets already have.
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