The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are facing a slew of crucial decisions that will shape the future of their franchise. Among these decisions are key choices about which free agents to re-sign and which players to part ways with.
In 2024, the Buccaneers signed safety Jordan Whitehead to a two-year contract, marking a reunion after his stint with the New York Jets. However, the reunion didn’t yield the desired results. Whitehead struggled with his performance on the field and was also plagued by injuries, including a non-football related incident involving a car accident that forced him to miss the playoffs this season.
Given Whitehead’s injury issues and underwhelming performance, speculation is rampant among fans about his future with the team. Whitehead’s name has frequently surfaced as a potential cut candidate this offseason. Recently, general manager Jason Licht addressed the uncertainty surrounding Whitehead’s role with the Buccaneers in 2025.
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Licht acknowledged the severity of Whitehead’s injuries from the car accident, but his comments on Whitehead’s future with the team were ambiguous, leaving uncertainty about whether the safety will return in 2025.
“We just need to make sure that we’re making, unfortunately in this business, some smart business decisions,” Licht speaking to reporters at the Combine. “But you know, we’re still evaluating that. And Jordan is a great guy. Love to have him back — just need to make sure that he’s healthy.”
It appears the Buccaneers are leaning toward making a “smart business decision” by cutting ties with Whitehead, as hinted by Licht. With Whitehead’s 2025 salary set at $4.5 million in an option year, releasing him would come with no dead cap penalty. While the Bucs could consider re-signing him at a lower price point, their draft strategy in April may ultimately dictate whether that’s a necessary move.
The BR Rub
We’re definitely fans of Jordan Whitehead. We celebrated his return to the Pewter Pirates last season. The problem here is the injury to salary ratio. The Buccaneers don’t have a lot of salary cap space to work with, and I think it’s safe to say they don’t see Whitehead as the long-term solution at the position. So it’s in our opinion that the team asks Whitehead to renegotiate his current contract and take a pay cut. Preferably this renegotiated deal would lower his base pay and be incentive laden. Otherwise it’s time to move on from Whitehead.
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