Andrew Whitworth is going out on top. After winning his first Super Bowl and being named Walter Payton Man of the Year in his final NFL season, Whitworth is retiring from football.
The 40-year-old left tackle announced his retirement on Tuesday.
Whitworth spent 16 seasons in the NFL, the last five of which were with the Rams. He’s a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, starting a whopping 235 regular-season games in his career.
The Rams signed him in 2017 after the Bengals let him leave in free agency that offseason, and it proved to be one of the best moves of the Sean McVay era. Whitworth has been a stud at left tackle for the Rams, only posting one season with a PFF grade lower than 82.1 while in Los Angeles.
The epitome of a leader.
Congratulations on an incredible football career, Andrew Whitworth. pic.twitter.com/iXoWdwuklI
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) March 15, 2022
In his final season, Whitworth allowed only 16 pressures and finished with a PFF grade of 86.1, his second-highest since 2015.
The Rams will miss Whitworth protecting Matthew Stafford’s blindside and are now left with a big hole at left tackle. Joseph Noteboom will be Whitworth’s replacement after the Rams signed him to a three-year extension.
Whitworth has said recently that he still plans to stay in football after retiring, be it as a broadcaster or working with an NFL team. So don’t be surprised if he’s on TV somewhere next season, or even on the Rams’ staff in L.A.