Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Jordan Whitehead was injured in a car accident Saturday, and the team placed him on the non-football injured list.
The Bucs host the New Orleans Saints on Sunday and need a win to reach the postseason and become NFC South champions.
And if they emerge victorious, as expected, Whitehead will not participate in the playoffs. He will miss several weeks due to injuries suffered on Saturday.
The nature of his injuries is not yet known, but he is said to be fine. However, it is a significant blow for the Bucs, as Whitehead is now exempt from playing until next season.
The team said in a statement on Saturday: “Jordan Whitehead was involved in a car accident this morning while en route to our practice facility.
'Due to injuries sustained in the accident, he will not play in Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints and has been placed on the reserve/non-football injury list.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Jordan Whitehead was injured in a car accident on Saturday
“We have signed Ryan Neal from our practice squad to the 53-man roster.”
Baker Mayfield's men lead the NFC South 9-7, one win ahead of the Atlanta Falcons, who host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon.
Whitehead only returned to the Bucs last week after four weeks of inactivity, after injuring his pectoral muscle against the New York Giants in Week 12.
Head coach Todd Bowles praised him after that game, a 48-14 victory over the Panthers, saying, “The communication he was doing and the disguise he was doing for everyone else and making them think one thing when we were doing another.” “It was outstanding.” '
Tom Brady, who won his seventh and final Super Bowl title with the Bucs, will be a commentator in Tampa with Fox Sports.
Whitehead was part of that team with Brady. He left as a free agent in 2021 and spent two years with the New York Jets before returning to the Bucs in March 2024.