After defeating the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, Los Angeles Rams free safety Eric Weddle announced that he is going back into retirement for good. The 37-year-old returned to the team after a two-year hiatus, played exceptionally well down the stretch and now has a ring to show for it.
Weddle may not be the only Rams player to retire this offseason as left tackle Andrew Whitworth has also pondered the possibility. The 40-year-old has spent the past five seasons in L.A. after beginning his career with the Bengals.
With Tom Brady retiring, Whitworth recently became the oldest active player in the NFL. In 16 seasons, he has accomplished virtually everything, earning four Pro Bowl nods, two All-Pro selections and now a Super Bowl title.
During a recent appearance on NFL Total Access, Whitworth revealed that he is leaning towards retiring and will make an official decision soon:
“It is. There’s a lot that goes into that. Obviously the family’s involved, me making sure that my commitment level to being the kind of player that I expect myself to be each and every Sunday is a part of that. That’s something I’m just gonna give it another couple weeks and make sure I’m pretty confident what I want to do. I’m definitely leaning towards probably being done, I think that’s probably best for me at this time in my career. There’s obviously days I’m waking up right now that I don’t know if I want to do that, so it’s battling that a little bit. I’ll come to a conclusion here soon to give the Rams a chance to make the moves they need to one way or another.”
Despite being 40 years old, Whitworth continued playing at a high level this past season and was named the winner of the 2022 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. The award honors a player for their community service efforts as well as their play on the field.
During the Rams’ victory parade last week, Whitworth offered an inspiring message, noting that while others counted him out in the past, he never gave up on himself, and credited his perseverance for becoming a Super Bowl champion.
