The Los Angeles Rams enter the offseason with several questions they need to address after an uneven 2020 season.
Inconsistency was the theme of the season as the Rams sometimes looked like the best team in the NFL and in other weeks were completely discombobulated. The main storyline for Los Angeles will be Jared Goff’s future as both Sean McVay and Les Snead have not publicly committed to him as their starting quarterback going forward.
Following his 2018 Pro Bowl season, Goff struggled badly in 2019 but that could be attributed to a massive dip in the offensive line’s play. However, the o-line rebounded in 2020 thanks to improvements from David Edwards and Austin Corbett as well as the resurgence of Andrew Whitworth.
Whitworth has expressed his desire to return and according to Stu Jackson of TheRams.com, Snead confirmed Los Angeles would like him back but did note nothing is for sure:
"The answer is yes," Snead said, when asked if the Rams want Andrew Whitworth back. Pointed to how Whitworth recovered from knee injury and said they haven't seen a drop-off in performance, but also acknowledges "there's variables to be discussed." https://t.co/cqL4MLUjT2
— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) January 26, 2021
Whitworth is technically under contract for the next two seasons, but at 39 years old and coming off a knee injury that cost him seven games he could be considering retirement. The left tackle was able to return in time for the Rams’ Wild Card game against the Seattle Seahawks, but it is fair to question whether or not Whitworth can withstand the rigors of another year.
While Whitworth was out, Joseph Noteboom took his place along the line and performed admirably. However, the offense clearly suffered with Whitworth on the mend so convincing him to come back should be one of the higher priority items on Snead’s to-do list.
The Rams find themselves at a crossroad with their quarterback situation, but potentially losing Whitworth would be a massive blow to a franchise trying to get back to the Super Bowl. Although Whitworth and Los Angeles are mutually interested in keeping him around, only time will tell what he decides.
