The Los Angeles Rams are entering their most pivotal stretch of the 2020 NFL season with a chance to lock up the division in the coming weeks.
The Rams were dealt a crushing blow in Week 10 versus the Seattle Seahawks after left tackle Andrew Whitworth went down with a knee injury. The 38-year-old was initially expected to miss six to eight weeks with an MCL and PCL injury although it did not require surgery.
Fortunately, Whitworth has since made some tremendous strides in his recovery. It appears he could be on the cusp of returning sooner than later.
According to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, Whitworth is ahead of schedule for a looming return:
Andrew Whitworth will test out his knee next week on the field. Just over 3 weeks after injuring his knee versus Seahawks. Depending on how it responds will help gauge his return, which he hopes for before end of regular season if not the playoffs. Way ahead of schedule @NFLonFOX https://t.co/zdnLwcVVyx
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) December 11, 2020
The Rams have also provided some reassurance of Whitworth’s recovery with a clip of the big man showing off some impressive footwork, per the team’s official Twitter:
LET'S GO WHIT‼️ pic.twitter.com/VG74wZoOV7
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 8, 2020
The prospect of Whitworth making his return in the near future is certainly an encouraging sign for the Rams. His activity in the upcoming weeks should provide much more clarity on when the team expects him to come back.
The fact that Whitworth continues to defy the odds at this point in his career hardly comes as any surprise considering he was in the midst of one of his best seasons before the injury. He has managed to stay busy both on and off the field since being sidelined.
Whitworth was recently named as the team’s nominee for the 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award as well as the nominee for the Salute To Service Award. Aside from all of his recent philanthropic efforts, he is seemingly on the verge of giving back to his fans by returning to the lineup.
Backup tackle Joe Noteboom has done a solid job of filling the void in Whitworth’s absence and should be able to hold out a few more weeks if needed.
