INDIANAPOLIS -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have informed safety Jordan Whitehead that they will be declining his 2025 option, which will make him an unrestricted free agent, a source confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.
A starter on the Buccaneers' Super Bowl LV-winning defense in 2020, Whitehead reunited with Tampa Bay last year on a two-year deal worth $9 million.
Whitehead dealt with a torn pectoral muscle in 2024 and missed the Buccaneers' regular-season finale and their wild-card playoff game against the Washington Commanders after he was involved in an automobile accident on his way to the team facility Jan. 4 that resulted in undisclosed injuries. He was placed on the non-football injury list.
Sunny Shah, Whitehead's agent, declined to elaborate on Whitehead's injuries when contacted Wednesday but said, "He is ahead of schedule."
Whitehead did struggle when healthy, and coach Todd Bowles indicated the team wanted to find ways to keep last year's starting nickelback, Tykee Smith, on the field for every snap. Smith could move to starting safety opposite Antoine Winfield Jr. with their 2023 starting nickelback Christian Izien, who filled in significantly last year in a variety of roles, stepping into the starting nickel spot again.
Whitehead was set to count $4.5 million against the salary cap, and the move gives the Buccaneers roughly $14.2 million in salary cap space.
General manager Jason Licht said Tuesday that the team needed to make "some smart business decisions" when asked about Whitehead.
"But you know, we're still evaluating that," Licht said. "And Jordan is a great guy. Love to have him back. Just need to make sure that he's healthy."
The news of Whitehead's departure was first reported by NFL Network.
