When NFL free agency began on Monday, the Los Angeles Rams made sure to prioritize one position group and that was the offensive line.
While the Rams lost starting guard Austin Corbett to the Carolina Panthers, they were able to retain three of their own by re-signing Joseph Noteboom, Brian Allen and Coleman Shelton.
Allen was a no-brainer as he is coming off a really strong season at center for the Rams. Shelton also came back on a cheap deal, giving the Rams some much-needed depth up front.
Perhaps the most surprising signing of the bunch was Noteboom as the Rams committed to him for four years on a lucrative deal despite never being a true starter for the team.
Noteboom has played extremely well when subbing in at left tackle for Andrew Whitworth though, and with the 40-year-old contemplating retirement, it made sense to lock down his backup that can easily become the starter if needed.
It appears that will be the case as Whitworth took to Instagram on Tuesday morning to officially announce his retirement from the NFL after 16 seasons:
This marks the end of an incredible career for Whitworth, who retires a four-time Pro Bowler, two-time First-Team All-Pro, 2021 Walter Payton Man of the Year and 2021 Super Bowl Champion.
In 2021, Whitworth became the first left tackle to start an NFL game at age 40, and he did so while continuing to play at an extremely high level despite making 235 career starts.
With Whitworth no longer in the fold though, it will be Noteboom’s time to shine as the Rams’ starting left tackle.
Now that Whitworth’s playing days are over, it will be interesting to see what he does next. He has talked about wanting to remain involved in football and with the Rams, so maybe he will join the front office in some type of role moving forward.
