Jordan Whitehead hit the quarterback lottery.

Beyond the talent or stature of the quarterbacks he’s played with, Whitehead is again teammates with one seemingly putting the team above his own financial interest.

Entering his second season with the Jets, the veteran safety played his first four seasons with the Buccaneers, the last two of which Tom Brady was the team’s quarterback.

Throughout Brady’s legendary career, he often famously restructured his contract and took less money in order to help both the Patriots and Buccaneers have money to add as much talent around him as possible.

Whitehead went from playing with Brady to playing with Aaron Rodgers, who followed Brady’s blueprint on Wednesday.

Rodgers took a massive pay cut and agreed to a new contract with the Jets that saves the team around $35 million from what he was previously owed.

Already, the Jets will host free agent running back Dalvin Cook for a visit this weekend, with the money Rodgers is saving the team likely a catalyst, and necessity, to possibly signing him.

“It just shows how [Rodgers] puts the team first,” Whitehead, who is likely to start at strong safety this year, said after practice Thursday. “That shows what kind of guy he is. Every day, just knowing him personally now, that’s the type of guy he is.

“It’s definitely a lot of money.”

Brady powered the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title his first season with the team. Having seen Brady and Rodgers up-close as a teammate and from afar as an opponent, Whitehead “definitely” envisions the same impact.

“Aaron’s one of those guys, his presence alone just brings you that greatness and wanting to compete,” Whitehead said. “The year before, with Tom, in practice [I was] getting better every day.
“Finding the little things to clean up in my game. [Brady] coming up to me after practice, just telling me what I need to do better, it’s the same with Aaron. He comes up to us, talks to us, talks to us about what we should’ve done.”

One of those defensive players Rodgers has spoken with is safety Tony Adams, whom Rodgers specifically sought out after he intercepted him on Wednesday (although it was on a free play due to a defensive penalty).

Safety Tony Adams appreciated it from Rodgers, and echoed Whitehead’s sentiment about his unselfishness.

“That says he wanted to give back that money so we can get more guys to make this team better,” Adams, who is battling for the starting free safety role, said. “It says where his mind frame is. I ain’t gonna say too much, but I think he’s thinking Super Bowl. Why not?

“You would want a leader like that. You would want to go to war with a guy like that.”