Jets Safety Jordan Whitehead Already Secured A Massive Bonus With Monster Performance Against Bills

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It wasn’t a huge stretch to assume the Jets had no chance to beat the Bills after Aaron Rodgers was knocked out of their season opener just a few plays into New York’s first offensive drive of the game, but the team was still able to rally and secure the win with the help of some less notable names—including Jordan Whitehead.

Garret Wilson obviously deserves a ton of credit for hauling in one of the most absurd touchdown catches in recent memory, and rookie punt returner Xavier Gipson emerged as an unlikely hero with the 65-yard score that sealed the deal for the Jets.

However, there was no one on the defensive side of the ball who shined brighter than Whitehead on Monday night.

The safety snagged his first interception of the game on Josh Allen’s “arm punt” toward the start of the second quarter, but he also managed to haul in some significantly more consequential picks in the second half to kill Buffalo’s momentum and allow the Jets to get back into the game.

Prior to the start of the season, Whitehead restructured his contract with the Jets by signing a one-year deal with a base salary of $1,125,000 and a $4,125,000 signing bonus.

That also included a $250,000 incentive if he was able to haul in three interceptions by the end of the season, and as Field Yates initially brought to my attention, he was able to do exactly that in a single game.

While the Jets will undoubtedly be fighting an uphill battle in the wake of Rodgers’ injury, their defense showed an incredible amount of promise against the Bills.

Sure, you could blame Allen for making the questionable throws that led to those interceptions, but it would be foolish to minimize the role Whitehead and his teammates played in helping New York secure the win.