Although Andrew Whitworth had been contemplating retirement this offseason, it appears he has more than enough in the tank for one more season with the Los Angeles Rams.
Whitworth has long been one of the NFL’s premier left tackles during his time with the Cincinnati Bengals and has been able to maintain his high level of play in Los Angeles. While the Rams were not able to win Super Bowl LIII, he had finally achieved the kind of postseason success that had long evaded him in Cincinnati.
As a result, the 37-year-old seemed to be content with calling it a career. Fortunately, the 13-year veteran came to the realization that he still has a strong desire to compete.
According to Rams Insider Myles Simmons, Whitworth admits his good health spurred him to play his 14th NFL season:
“I think, really, if you think about it, a lot of guys, veteran players, you hear guys takes and why they walk away from the game. And really a lot of the time is the fear of the unknown, right? Staying healthy and what can happen to you and the impact that this game is going to have on you. And I think there’s nothing you can really ever do to stop that. So for me it’s like, really, at the end of the day, if I still have the passion and desire to play, the reality is, I carry as much risk as I did when I was a rookie in the NFL as I do now. You’re always one play away from something bad happening.”
“So to me, it’s like, just to say, you know what, you’re safest avoiding those opportunities. But the reality is, is that what you built yourself for? And for me, I built myself to be a good football player, a great leader, and to have the opportunity to go out and compete on Sundays with a team. And I still have the desire to do that. So that’s what I want to go do.”
There is no question that the Rams are happy that Whitworth will be returning for another year. Although the resurgence on offense over the last two years has been largely attributed to Sean McVay, Jared Goff, and Todd Gurley, it is not too far-fetched to say that Whitworth has had just as much of an impact thanks to the stability he brings up front.
More importantly, there is plenty of truth to Whitworth’s comments regarding his health as he has managed to avoid sustaining any type of severe injuries throughout his career. He will look to take full advantage of his good fortune as Los Angeles looks to finish the job next season.
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