With his future in the NFL uncertain last offseason, Andrew Whitworth was without a contract and mulling retirement. At 38 years old, that was understandable and almost expected. The sour taste in his mouth of missing the playoffs in 2019 surely helped motivate him to return for this season, but he didn’t just sign a one-year extension to put off retirement by 12 months.
The Rams re-upped him with a three-year deal, keeping him under contract through 2022. That seemed crazy given Whitworth’s age, but as he continues to play at a high level, it makes sense.
There’s no reason to believe he can’t provide steady play for the Rams in 2021, and he sees no reason not to come back for another year.
“I’m pretty jacked up to come back, that’s for sure,” and “I don’t see any reason why I wouldn’t [return] next season,” Whitworth told Greg Bishop of Sports Illustrated.
Whitworth, 39, didn’t have nearly as much conviction this time last year when the possibility of retiring was brought up. He didn’t know what he was going to do, though Sean McVay always felt like Whitworth would be back.
This year, there seems to be little doubt about who will be the Rams’ left tackle next season.
Of course, there’s a lot for Los Angeles to handle right now with a playoff game just days away – a game Whitworth is expected to play in after missing the final seven games of the regular season – so his mind isn’t necessarily on the 2021 season.