Former Pitt, Central Valley star Jordan Whitehead returning to Bucs on 2-year deal

TAMPA, Fla. — Safety Jordan Whitehead and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers agreed on a two-year, $9 million contract worth up to $10.5 million, a person familiar with the deal told the Associated Press on Wednesday.

Whitehead, 27, returns to Tampa Bay after spending the past two seasons with the New York Jets. The Central Valley and Pitt product was a fourth-round draft pick in 2018 and was a starter on the Bucs defense that helped Tom Brady win the Super Bowl during the 2020 season.

Whitehead, who has 11 career interceptions, has appeared in 93 games over six seasons, including 89 starts. He started every game in his two years with the Jets and had a career-high four interceptions in 2023 — three of them during New York’s season-opening win over the Buffalo Bills.

With the Bucs, Whitehead will be reunited with All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr., who was a rookie when he and Whitehead were key contributors to the defense that stymied Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl.

Tampa Bay’s secondary also figures to have a second new starter in 2024, with third-year pro Zyon McCollum getting an opportunity to fill a vacancy created this week when the Bucs traded cornerback Carlton Davis to the Detroit Lions.