Whitehead (undisclosed) was involved in an automobile accident Saturday and was subsequently placed on the reserve/non-football injury list, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Whitehead had just returned from a four-game stint on injured reserve due to a pectoral injury, playing every defensive snap in his return last Sunday versus Carolina. The nature and severity of the injuries the safety suffered in Saturday's accident aren't yet clear, but Stroud reports that Whitehead isn't expected to return this season. Whitehead's health is obviously the most important concern for Tampa Bay, but from a football perspective it's also key to point out that the team is already very thin in the secondary with Antoine Winfield (knee), Christian Izien (pectoral) and Jamel Dean (knee) all also out for Sunday's critical clash against New Orleans. Kaevon Merriweather is likely to step into a starting role in Whitehead's stead.