Jets safety Jordan Whitehead earned $250K bonus after 3 interception night

Each of Jordan Whitehead’s interceptions were devastating to the Bills’ cause. He intercepted one pass in the end zone, another at the Jets 4. His final pick set up his team’s winning touchdown.

Jets coach Robert Saleh harkened back to last year when talking about Whitehead’s performance to kick off this year’s season.

“He was outstanding. He’s been outstanding,” Saleh said of Jordan Whitelead. “He was four dropped interceptions away from having an All-Pro year last year. He caught ’em all today, he’s got great instincts in the box, and his range is better this year, his ability to get from red line to red line. We have great confidence in him. He’s an outstanding safety and he has been.”

The Jets signed Whitehead as a free agent in March, 2022. He started his career with the Bucs, helping Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl win in February, 2021.

The last Jet with an interception tri-fecta was Ty Law, who, coincidentally, picked off the three against the Bills in a 2005 game. The last safety to pull off the achievement was Erik McMillan. He did so in 1988 against future Hall of Famer Dan Marino.

Jordan Whitehead picked off Josh Allen last year, too. He also dropped a potential pick, so you could say Whitehead matches up well with the Bills QB. Allen is being super generous with the league’s defensive backs. He’s thrown 32 interceptions in his last 35 regular season games.

And that total didn’t include post-season miscues. In the Bills’ opening playoff game against the Dolphins back in January, Allen threw two interceptions and fumbled three times, losing one of them. Against the Jets, Allen also lost a fumble to go along with Jordan Whitehead’s three picks.

“I was trying to force the ball,” Allen told reporters after the game. “Same s---, same place, different day. I hurt our team tonight. I cost our team tonight. This feels eerily similar to last year and I hate that it’s the same. I do.”