ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Oakland Raiders have signed unrestricted free agent LB Tahir Whitehead, the club announced Thursday.
Whitehead joins the Raiders after spending his first six seasons with the Detroit Lions, who originally drafted him in the fifth round (138th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft. He has played in 93 games, making 54 starts and has totaled 378 tackles (268 solo), three sacks, two forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, four interceptions and 18 passes defensed.
In 2017, the 6-foot-2, 241-pounder started all 16 games for the first time in his career, and posted 110 stops, adding one sack, one interception four fumble recoveries and two passes defensed. His 110 tackles marked the second consecutive season both leading the team in stops and posting 100-plus tackles. Posting 132 tackles in 2016, he became just the 11th Lions defensive player to record 130-plus tackles in a single season since 1994.
A native of Newark, N.J., Whitehead played in 50 games over four seasons (2008-11) at Temple and totaled 163 tackles (107), seven sacks, seven forced fumbles, three fumbles recoveries, one interception and seven passes defensed.
Here's a look at new Raiders linebacker Tahir Whitehead from his time with the Detroit Lions.
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Detroit Lions/Associated Press
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Detroit Lions/Associated Press
Detroit Lions/Associated Press
Detroit Lions/Associated Press
Detroit Lions/Associated Press
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Al Tielemans/Associated Press
Detroit Lions/Associated Press
Detroit Lions/Associated Press
