The New York Jets started off their 2023 campaign with an impressive win over the Buffalo Bills. As it turns out, Jets’ star safety Jordan Whitehead, who inked a $14,500,000 deal with them last year, had a massive role to play in that. Courtesy of Whitehead’s brilliance, the Jets secured a come-from-behind victory by a 22-16 margin against the Bills.
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Jordan, just a year after his super lucrative deal, secured a massive $250,000 bonus after playing just one game this year in the Jets jersey, which shows what he is capable of when he is on song. The 26-year-old put on a stunning display on the gridiron, helping the Jets win despite quarterback Aaron Rodgers‘ devastating injury.
Jordan Whitehead Tied Jets’ Record for INTs in a Single Game
Jordan Whitehead led the Jets’ defense with as many as three interceptions during their victory over the Bills. The experienced safety, who is playing in his sixth NFL season, arguably had one of the best days of his career against the Bills and it is all set to reflect on his bank account very soon. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Whitehead’s three-interception performance triggered an incentive clause in his contract that will see him pocket a whopping $250,000.
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The incentive clause was for performances throughout the whole season, but the safety has sensationally managed to hit his target in the opening week itself. Whitehead is currently on a one-year contract extension with the Jets worth $5,250,000, which also includes a signing bonus of $4,125,000, according to Spotrac. This contract extension came in after he had signed a two-year, $14,500,000 contract with the Jets back in March 2022.
Heading into his sixth season, Jordan only had seven interceptions across his 76 games in the NFL. Not only did he manage to record almost half of his career tally against the Bills, but he also intercepted premier quarterback Josh Allen, which in itself is a huge achievement for any defender. He also tied the record for the Jets’ single-game interception count and fell just two short of claiming the record for a single NFL game. If the opening night was anything to judge on, Whitehead has the potential to become a huge asset for the Jets, who are already looking to plug holes in their roster.
Jets Overcome Bills challenge Despite Aaron Rodgers’ Achilles Injury
The New York Jets put on a spirited display at home to overpower the Buffalo Bills by a 22-16 margin. The victory, however, came at a huge cost as they lost star quarterback, Aaron Rodgers very early on in the game. The much-talked-about recruit suffered an Achilles injury that possibly rules him out of the whole season.
In Rodgers’ absence, backup QB Zach Wilson rallied the Jets to make a famous comeback from being 13-3 down at halftime. The Jets’ defense performed admirably with Whitehead doing most of the damage to Josh Allen. Their spirited showing eventually won them the game in overtime with rookie WR Xavier Gipson scoring a 65-yard punt after Tyler Bass tied the game at 16-16 through a 50-yard field goal with six seconds remaining on the clock.
It will be interesting to see how the Jets perform in the coming weeks, especially when there will be no Aaron taking up the QB1 duties for them.
