Jordan Whitehead knows what the arrival of Aaron Rodgers can do for the Jets

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Jordan Whitehead feels as if he’s reliving history, and he believes the ending can be the same.

The Jets safety played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. They were coming off a seven-win season and missed the playoffs for the 12th consecutive year when an all-time great quarterback, Tom Brady, arrived.

Everything changed. The Bucs won the Super Bowl that season — in their own stadium to boot.

Last season, the Jets were a seven-win team and failed to make the playoffs for the 12th straight year. They got an all-time great quarterback in the offseason in Aaron Rodgers, and everything has changed. Everyone in and around the team has Super Bowl aspirations.

It all feels so familiar to Whitehead.

“I actually feel it. I do,” he told Newsday. “I feel it. The similarities are there. The weapons we have on offense compared to the weapons that were with the Bucs. It’s like even more weapons here. We have more weapons. The defense we got.

“It’s scary because you don’t know. When the team comes together, special teams and everything comes together — we got Pro Bowlers on special teams in Justin Hardee. It’s scary. You never know how great we can be.”

Whitehead believes the Jets could be even better than the Bucs team that went 11-5 and beat Kansas City in Super Bowl LV. At the very least, he thinks history can repeat itself.

“It could be all around like that,” Whitehead said. “We had a great defensive line with the Bucs; now we got an even better defensive line with the Jets. The secondary, same thing. I see the similarities, but I see even more here. Just the way we work, it’s different.

“Coach [Robert] Saleh, he’s on us every day to be great, little details. Any time in the team meeting, he gives us a lesson about being the best and competing against yourself. That goes a long way.”

The Jets lead the NFL in hype, but they feel it’s deserved.

They were the No. 4 defense last year, with tackle Quinnen Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner making All-Pro. Eight defensive starters returned.

The Jets have weapons on offense. Receiver Garrett Wilson was last year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. Running back Breece Hall is returning from a torn ACL. The Jets have a strong tight end room and added former Packer Allen Lazard and former Kansas City speedster Mecole Hardman Jr. to the receiving group.

The 2022 Jets started 7-4 and lost their last six games. A quarterback was the missing piece, just as it was with Tampa Bay. Both teams added Hall of Fame arms.

Whitehead said you could feel an immediate difference during Brady’s first practice. The same thing happened in Rodgers’ first practice as a Jet.

“You got a G.O.A.T. Hall of Fame quarterback in Tom and then you got a G.O.A.T. Hall of Fame quarterback in Aaron,” Whitehead said. “At practice, you see the similarities.

“With Tom, the first day of practice you could just see the competitiveness, which led to our being serious about every practice. It started then. Similar to Aaron, his presence makes the whole difference. You want to be great when you’re playing with somebody like that.”

One difference between the two great quarterbacks: Whitehead said Brady didn’t say much and that Rodgers is extremely vocal.

Rodgers’ new teammates have been impressed with and appreciative of how willing he is to tell them what he’s seeing and how they can improve. The four-time MVP also is open to hearing advice from them.

Whitehead called Rodgers “a freak of nature” because of how he “messes with the safeties” with his eyes. Whitehead said Rodgers is helping him understand how he can disguise things better and read the quarterback.

“Everybody looks up to him,” Whitehead said. “For him to do that, it brings guys along, it makes you more focused — especially me, too. Him coming in and saying that to me, I’m like, ‘Wow, that’s different.’  ”

This could lead to a more productive season for Whitehead. In his first year as a Jet, he set career highs in games (17) and tackles (89), and his two interceptions matched his previous best.

Saleh said Whitehead was close to playing at a Pro Bowl level. He cited four other interception opportunities that Whitehead had that he didn’t pick off. Saleh expects him to be better in Year 2 in the system.

“That guy was outstanding,” Saleh said. “He brings so much leadership to this group. More confidence alignment-wise. He’s a lot smoother in communication. He’s just a really, really, really good football player.”

Whitehead believes Rodgers will elevate everyone’s play the way Brady did for the Bucs.

“He just gives an urgency,” Whitehead said. “Guys want to make plays . . . He brings that presence to the team like, ‘We’re going to be great.’ Every day at practice shows.”

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.