Once upon a time, veteran offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth called the New York Giants and informed them he’d like to play for them. Why? Because he knew quarterback Eli Manning and wanted to help shore up the O-Line in front of him.
But Whitworth was rejected.
In a phone call to the Giants, Whitworth was informed — likely by general manager Jerry Reese — that the team intended to stick with Ereck Flowers, their 2015 first-round pick, instead.
“I actually had reached out and wanted to be a Giant just because I knew Eli Manning really well,” Whitworth told the New York Post. “But they kinda said no because they thought they were gonna continue with Ereck Flowers at left tackle, and that obviously didn’t end up working the next year. Once we got into it and realized that wasn’t an option, the Jets showed some interest but it wasn’t really something that I was that interested in doing.”
As Whitworth notes, things did not work out with Flowers. He was a complete bust with the Giants, who released him at the conclusion of the 2018 regular season after he was benched in favor of Chad Wheeler.
Things went much differently for Whitworth, who was named a First Team All-Pro in 2017. He also earned a Pro Bowl nod that season and then helped lead the Los Angeles Rams to the Super Bowl in 2018. Although they lost, Whitworth hung around and now finds himself heading back to The Big Game this year.
Even at the age of 40, Whitworth continues to plug away and play at an extremely high level. The Giants, meanwhile, have relentlessly cycled through offensive tackles and will need another this offseason.
Hindsight may be 20/20, but it’s these type of personnel decisions that have the Giants in the state they’re currently in.
Follow the Giants Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts