Andrew Whitworth has been out since injuring his knee in Week 10 against the Seahawks, but he’s remained on track through all of his rehab and is still slated to play again this season – if the Rams give him the opportunity to.
Sean McVay said Monday that Whitworth will be designated to return from IR this week, which will open the 21-day window for him to be activated. It also allows him to begin practicing with the team, which he hasn’t done in almost two months.
The goal then is to have him back for the wild-card round of the playoffs, as long as the Rams make it into the postseason with a win or Bears loss this weekend.
“That’s the plan. We’re going to activate him, where he has the 21-day timer starting this week,” McVay said. “So, we’ll get him on the practice field. Then next week ends up being the target goal, if we’re fortunate enough to be sitting here playing then.”
Joe Noteboom has played well in Whitworth’s place, allowing two sacks in 560 snaps played this season. However, there’s simply no replacing an All-Pro tackle like Whitworth, so the Rams would be fortunate to get him back.
Where he really stands out is in the running game, doing an excellent job sealing off the left side and even getting to the second level on outside runs. Hopefully if the Rams do make the postseason, Whitworth can provide a spark for an offense that has struggled mightily.