TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Jordan Whitehead tore a pectoral muscle during Sunday’s win over the New York Giants and will miss some time, a source told ESPN Tuesday.
Whitehead underwent an MRI Monday to confirm the diagnosis. The source said that it’s not necessarily season-ending, however, and that he could be back later in the season or for the playoffs. The source also said that due to the location of the tear, surgery is not required.
The injury happened early in the fourth quarter on Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito’s 17-yard touchdown run. Whitehead dove for the tackle and got spun around upon impact, falling to the ground. He immediately shot up and ran to the sideline holding his left shoulder/chest area.
Whitehead’s 47 solo tackles through 11 games in 2024 are the most on the team, while his 76 combined tackles are second-most. He’s also registered two tackles for a loss and three pass breakups.
The Bucs had just claimed safety Mike Edwards off waivers during their Week 11 bye, and he spent most of the game lining up in dime packages on third down, but he filled in for Whitehead for the remainder of the game.
A fourth-round draft pick by the Bucs in 2018, Whitehead spent the first four years of his career in Tampa and was a starter in their Super Bowl LV victory, before signing with the New York Jets in 2022-2023. He reunited with the Bucs this offseason on a two-year deal worth $9 million.
Whitehead tore the labrum in his shoulder during the 2020 NFC Championship Game and started Super Bowl LV with the injury by using a protective harness.
