on july 26, 2017, whitehead was claimed off waivers by the new york jets. on august 16, 2017, it was revealed that whitehead would undergo surgery for a fractured foot he suffered in practice, with an estimated recovery time of four to six weeks. he was waived/injured on september 2, 2017 and was placed on injured reserve. he was released by the team on september 11, 2017. he was re-signed to the jets' practice squad on november 24, 2017. he was promoted to the active roster on december 30, 2017. on august 26, 2018, whitehead was waived/injured by the jets and was placed on injured reserve. he was released on august 31, 2018.