The Bucs defense took another hit on Saturday as starting strong safety Jordan Whitehead was involved in a car accident on the way to the team facility for their walk-through prior to Sunday’s home game against the Saints in the 2024 regular season finale. Whitehead suffered serious injuries and will not be able to play versus New Orleans or in the playoffs.

Pewter Report has learned that the injuries do not appear to be career-threatening, but it is too early to tell.

The team released a statement Saturday afternoon commenting on Whitehead’s status and also announced a roster transaction:

“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 (NFI) list.”

The Bucs have signed practice squad safety Ryan Neal to the 53-man active roster and he is expected to play on Sunday.

Bucs Secondary Continues To Be Ravaged With Injuries

Bucs SS Jordan Whitehead – Photo by: USA Today

Bucs starting strong safety Jordan Whitehead just returned from injured reserve where he spent four weeks recovering from a pectoral injury he suffered in Week 12 at New York against the Giants. He played in Sunday’s 48-14 win over Carolina and is not lost for possibly the rest of the season due to injuries he suffered in a car accident on Saturday morning on the way to the team facility.

With Whitehead out, Tampa Bay will start Mike Edwards and Kaevon Merriweather on Sunday against New Orleans with Ryan Neal, who was signed from the practice squad, in reserve. Starting free safety Antoine Winfield Jr. has been out since the Raiders game in Week 14 and has already been ruled out for Sunday’s game versus the Saints.

The safety position has been ravaged with injuries all season. Winfield, who made the All-Pro team last year and was made the league’s highest-paid defensive back during the offseason with a lucrative contract extension, has only played in nine games this year. He also missed Weeks 2-5 with a foot injury he suffered at the end of the 37-14 season opening win over the Commanders.

Bucs SS Ryan Neal – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Tampa Bay also put reserve safety Christian Izien, who spent time filling in for both Winfield and Whitehead throughout the year, on injured reserve following the Dallas game in Week 16 and he is out for the year.

Edwards, who was claimed off waivers during the bye in Week 11 and he saw action at New York and Carolina before suffering a hamstring injury that caused him to miss a pair of games against Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

The Bucs were so desperate that they re-signed Neal, who was out of football, back on the practice squad following the bye week as the team’s safeties continued to get injured. Neal has already seen action earlier this year in L.A. against the Chargers.