Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending Achilles injury has dominated much of the headlines following the New York Jets’ Week 1 game against the Buffalo Bills. If it wasn’t for that, safety Jordan Whitehead would likely be the main talking point.
Whitehead put together a massive performance in a 22-16 overtime win, intercepting the Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen three times. He became the first player to have three picks in a season opener since 2001 while also getting significant cash windfall.
According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Whitehead earned himself a $250K bonus thanks to his hat-trick of interceptions. It turned out that the 26-year-old player had an interception incentive in his contract and managed to clear it in Week 1.
Speaking after the Bills game, Whitehead said that he wasn’t too surprised that he managed to pick off Allen so many times.
“I’ve just been working all offseason, teammates have been pushing me. So no surprise. Deep balls, just every day at practice,” said Whitehead.
Jordan Whitehead spent the first four years of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, helping the franchise win Super Bowl LV. He joined the Jets on a two-year deal ahead of the 2022 campaign. Whitehead has 10 career interceptions, and his three picks in 2023 are already his career-high in a season.
