Jordan Whitehead’s homecoming making Bucs happier by the week

TAMPA — He was a charter member of the "Gravediggers," the Tampa Bay secondary's self-anointed nickname during its Super Bowl run. Back then, safety Jordan Whitehead — like his peers — was fast and fearless, teeming with brashness and ball skills.

It seems an NFL lifetime ago. Yet on Sunday, Whitehead, a 27-year-old elder statesman, was still digging furiously.

of a hole.

The Bucs arrived in Detroit last weekend with a defense decimated on its back end. All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (foot) was sidelined, as were cornerbacks Josh Hayes (ankle) and Bryce Hall (ankle). Suddenly, Whitehead found himself flanked mostly by plebes; a rookie over here, a raw talent over there, an undrafted free agent oscillating from safety to the second level.

In this pinch, he had to evolve into the de facto quarterback of the defense. Whitehead had to bark out signals while managing his own run fits. He had to exhort and execute, tutor and tackle, all in a raucous Midwest cauldron.

The two-quarterback system — Baker Mayfield on one side, Whitehead on the other — flourished in a 20-16 Tampa Bay triumph . By game's end, Whitehead had collected a game-high 11 tackles, one pass defended, one near-interception and effusive praise from coach Todd Bowles.

"There's a lot of plays out there that I left out," Whitehead said immediately afterward. "I'll watch the film. I played a good game. It could be better."

Bowles's assessment was a bit more glowing.

"As far as I'm concerned, he was my player of the game," the coach said on his weekly online show.

For all the coveted cornerstones they kept in-house during the offseason (Mayfield, Winfield, Mike Evans, etc.), the Bucs' most prudent offseason move may have involved the veteran they brought to the crib.

After two fruitful years with the Jets (186 tackles, six interceptions), Whitehead has returned to the franchise that drafted him, a favorite son far more productive than prodigal. Two games into 2024, he leads Tampa Bay in total tackles (19) and solo stops (12), with two passes defended for a patchwork secondary. His 144 defensive snaps are tied for second-most in the NFL among safeties.

Perhaps most important, he has led by exhortation and example.

"I thought 'J-White' was turned (up) all game, the way he was flying around," rookie safety Tykee Smith said.

"He's a leader," third-year cornerback Zyon McCollum added. "Y'all don't hear what he's talking about in the huddle, but he's keeping everybody focused, he's keeping everybody up, and he just plays with a different motor. In the fourth quarter (Sunday), he had more energy than he did in the first quarter, and he does a really good job of keeping guys up with energy."

Regarded as a run-stuffing thumper — a strong-safety trademark — during his initial tenure in Tampa Bay (2018-2021), Whitehead also emerged as the consummate ball hawk. In 2021, the final season of his first Bucs stint, his eight passes defended (third-most on the team) included two interceptions. His departure left a gaping hole in the secondary that peers and coaches noticed immediately.

"It's funny, the year that we lost him, we were going through the cutups afterwards and we were like, 'Jordan made the tackle, Jordan made the tackle,'" defensive line coach and run-game coordinator Kacy Rodgers said. "We were always fond of him."

His 89 tackles in 2022 and 97 in 2023 as a Jet were the highest totals of his career, and his six interceptions in those two years were one more than he totaled in his four previous seasons in pewter. Three of those picks came against Josh Allen and the Bills in a Monday night overtime win in the 2023 opener.

Bowles said Whitehead's growth and maturity since his initial stint in Tampa has been "off the charts." His most noticeable stride arguably has been as an on-field communicator.

"You know, it starts with coaching," said Whitehead, who re-signed with the Bucs (a two-year deal) in March. "We take it upon ourselves during the week, any extra questions, any extra things that we need, I'm going to go in and make sure we're on the same page. That's just the leadership that we've got to keep developing."

It'll be needed again this Sunday. Broncos coach Sean Payton has an extensive history of perplexing the Bucs, having defeated Tampa Bay in his last seven regular season meetings as Saints coach.

"He can coach a lot of different (kinds of) football a lot of different ways," Bowles said. "He's a very bright guy, very sharp guy."

Meantime, the Bucs could be thin again in the secondary. Winfield likely will remain sidelined, and Hayes has been limited in practice.

Time to dig deep again.

"To have (Whitehead) back in the building, just at practice every day, in the building, it just lifts everybody," Rodgers said.

. Follow • • •

, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.