A lot of players have incentives in their contracts based on their performance and get down to the wire before securing it. Not safety Jordan Whitehead. He plays by a different set of rules.
The New York Jets agreed to an incentive in Whitehead’s contract where he would get a $250,000 bonus if he recorded three interceptions. However, it did not take long for that to come to fruition as Whitehead intercepted three Josh Allen passes in their Week 1 overtime victory on Monday Night Football over the Buffalo Bills.
Jets safety Jordan Whitehead had a $250K incentive in his contract this season if he recorded three interceptions.
He reached it in the first game of the season 🤯 pic.twitter.com/98LqlDNDXD
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) September 12, 2023
Whitehead signed a one-year, $5.25 million contract with the Jets during the offseason to remain part of their vaunted defense. He had recorded seven interceptions throughout his first five seasons, including two interceptions last year. Whitehead already broke his career-high in interceptions with 16 games left to go in the regular season.
Can Jordan Whitehead lead this defense to a Super Bowl run?
The New York Jets had Super Bowl aspirations heading into the season and with the team fearing that quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a ruptured Achilles. While it will be difficult, this Jets organization is no stranger to defense and skill position players leading the team with decent quarterback play.
While the dreams of a Super Bowl feel a lot further away than it did 24 hours ago, there still is some hope, depending on who is under center for the remainder of the season. This defense flexed its muscles as it held Buffalo to one touchdown throughout the game and completely destroyed Allen’s confidence at times.
The defense has a chance to be incredibly special, and if they can win enough games, look for Robert Saleh to take the Kyle Shanahan approach by not letting the quarterback play and lose them games. Instead, this is a great time for offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett to prove his worth and redesign the game plan around Zach Wilson for the time being.
It will take a miracle, but did anyone else not think that this Jets franchise has not made the Super Bowl in 55 years?