in the preseason opener, which was the first nfl game in los angeles since 1994, against the los angeles rams at the los angeles memorial coliseum, whitehead returned the opening kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown. in addition, he had one catch for six yards and one rushing attempt for 11 yards. in week 6 against the green bay packers, whitehead caught a career-long 35-yard reception from quarterback dak prescott, as well as a season-long 26 yard run. whitehead experienced problems during the season, like his critical fumble during a run against the minnesota vikings. the next week after being late to team meetings on the saturday before the trip to new york, he was subsequently left home, fined and de-activated against the new york giants. whitehead remained more effective as a runner out of the backfield than at wide receiver, and was inconsistent as a return specialist. he shared the returner role with beasley and running back lance dunbar, especially in critical situations, when better ball security was required. he had a total of three fumbles, losing two.