


Jets safety Jordan Whitehead is hopeful recent history can repeat itself.
When reflecting on the organization’s seismic trade for Aaron Rodgers earlier this spring, the former Buccaneers defender recalled a similar situation in 2020, when a certain Patriots quarterback joined him in Tampa Bay.
“It was kind of the same situation I fell into when I was with the Bucs,” Whitehead said to the Jets’ official website.
“We had a great defense the year before and we just needed one piece that was missing.”
Enter Tom Brady: who signed with the Buccaneers in March 2020 after 20 seasons with the Patriots.
In his first season in Tampa Bay, Brady led the Buccaneers to a 31-9 Super Bowl victory over the Chiefs in what was the quarterback’s seventh and final championship before his retirement in February.
Whitehead, who played for the Buccaneers from 2018 through 2021 prior to joining the Jets last year, added how he feels that Tampa Bay “vibe” now in Florham Park.
“The same vibe that I did with the Bucs, I joke with the guys that we’re about to create a team,” the 26-year-old said.
“I tell the guys it’s kind of like déjà vu for me.”
Further, Whitehead is already seeing the Rodgers’ effect both on and off the field.
“On the field, he’s making us better, we’re getting the best we can get,” Whitehead said.
“He’s making us check down and communicate on another level. In the locker room you see and hear him. He’s a funny character. He’s a good guy, open to everything. A real great guy.”
Rodgers was traded to the Jets in April after spending the first 18 years of his career with the Green Bay Packers.
Since arriving in New York, Rodgers has continued to bond with his teammates and make the most of his new surroundings.
In fact, he even practiced the celebrations for a Jets Super Bowl win at MetLife Stadium last month, when he caught Taylor Swift’s blockbuster “The Eras Tour.”
The Jets will host the Bills in their season opener on Monday, Sept. 11.