Latest news gives Buccaneers a shot at reuniting with key piece from 2020 Super Bowl run, but there is a catch worth considering
The Buccaneers need some more help at the safety position and an interesting name just became available. There is an element of risk worth taking into account, however.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are exactly one week out from veterans reporting to training camp, and there are still a few questions facing several positions. One of the biggest questions is the depth at safety.
The Buccaneers have one of the NFL’s best starting duos in Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tykee Smith, but the depth behind them is a serious question mark. There are two guys in particular, Miles Killebrew and J.J. Roberts, who stand to be very good depth pieces. However, neither has practiced this offseason because they’re both coming back from severe knee injuries they suffered in 2025.
With all due respect to Rashad Wisdom, Marcus Banks, and Ja’Qurious Conley, the other three safeties on the roster, it’s slim pickings when it comes to somebody who can step in and cover in case Winfield Jr. or Smith goes down for either a limited or extended period of time, whatever the injury case may be.
But there may be one new option that just came available, and he makes a lot of sense, even if he does carry a bit of concern himself: former Buccaneers safety Jordan Whitehead.
Jordan Whitehead and the Buccaneers make a lot of sense, even with his injury history
Per ESPN’s Mike Garafolo, Whitehead has been cleared to return to play after suffering a neck injury in January 2025 that wiped out his entire season.
He last played for the Buccaneers in 2024, starting 12 games and recording more than 70 tackles while making some plays here and there. But where Whitehead really made his biggest impact over the course of his career was during the Buccaneers’ 2020 Super Bowl run.
I’m pretty sure we can all remember the two fumbles he forced against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game. One of those fumbles ended up getting recovered and was quickly turned into an eight-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady to Cameron Brate that put the Bucs up 28-10 in the third quarter. That touchdown really piled it on and it wouldn’t have happened without Whitehead’s forced fumble.
The key with Whitehead is he knows the Buccaneers defense. It has not changed since his last time in Tampa Bay, and that makes it a very plausible matchup once again. He would immediately know the ins-and-outs and can help the other guys learn, as well.
Whitehead’s injury history has to be taken into account, however. Does it make a lot of sense to sign a guy who’s had injury issues to help cover for guys who are currently recovering from injuries? I can totally understand if somebody were to say no to that, but the key with Whitehead is he has been cleared to play, so he’s good to go there, and he should also come in at an affordable price. I’d be shocked if Whitehead signed anything more than a one-year, vet-minimum deal.
So either way, it’s a very intriguing fit. It makes a lot of sense. The Buccaneers just have to make sure Whitehead’s health is good to go like the doctors say. And on top of that, he’s not going to compete for a starting role anyway, so his injury history will be limited due to the fewer amount of snaps that he’ll play when compared to his starting days.
The Buccaneers need to totally kick the tires on this one, see what it looks like, and talk to Whitehead and potentially sign him, because that would be a great depth upgrade that could really help bridge the gap until Killebrew and Roberts are ready to go. And then he could also even just compete with everybody and make the room even better as a whole.