Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles on S Jordan Whitehead: 'We Got Him Right In His Prime'

Could Whitehead be even better in his second stint with the Bucs?

Oct 25, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Jordan Whitehead (33) against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers struggled at moments in their secondary in 2023. Some of those struggles can be attributed to them. Still, unforeseen circumstances like injuries and the inability to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks also made life difficult for the Bucs' defensive backs last season.

Some moves had to be made this offseason to try and correct the struggles they saw last year, and letting some players walk in free agency and trading away veteran CB Carlton Davis III was just the beginning. The team then tried to bring in players to provide depth in the secondary and compete for starting spots. However, there was one addition to the Bucs 2024 roster who could be a staple in the secondary and that is the return of safety Jordan Whitehead.

Whitehead spent the first four seasons of his career in Tampa Bay after being selected in the fourth round by the Bucs in 2018. During his first stint with the team, Whitehead was known for being a solid tackler who could thump, play physically, and was a great sidekick to All-Pro Antoine Winfield Jr.

Whitehead eventually decided to try his luck elsewhere, and he became a free agent in Year 5 and ended up signing with the New York Jets on a two-year deal. He performed admirably during his time with the Jets and put up a career-high in interceptions (4) just last season.

READ MORE: New Tampa Bay Buccaneers DB Getting Used to Todd Bowles' Defense

Now back in Tampa Bay, Whitehead is primed to pick up right where he left off next to Antoine Winfield Jr. in the Bucs' back end, and when speaking to the media on Monday following practice, head coach Todd Bowles commented on the biggest change he's seen in Whitehead since his first stint with the team to his return.

"I mean, he was young when we had him. If you go away for two years, you're going to come back and learn some things and you're going to become a better pro, a better athlete. You're going to take care of your body more. It feels like we got him right in his prime right now, coming back here. His mindset was always great. Just coming back in shape, picking up the system where he left off…[He is learning] a few new things, but the communication with him and 'Win' (Antoine Winfield Jr.) has never wavered."

The transition back into Todd Bowles' defense shouldn't be too tough for Whitehead, as he is familiar with how he wants things done on that side of the ball, and reconnecting with Winfield Jr. should breed confidence in Whitehead as he looks to build off a strong start to his career. If Bowles is correct in saying that the Bucs have Whitehead in his prime, then the Bucs secondary will be in good hands being led by their two safeties.

READ MORE: The Best Quotes From Day 5 of Tampa Bay Buccaneers Training Camp

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