Tag: Andrew Whitworth

Look: Andrew Whitworth, Rams O-line all went out to dinner together

Andrew Whitworth has remained close to the Rams organization, recently having dinner with the offensive linemen

Andrew Whitworth has been enjoying retirement since hanging up his cleats after the 2021 season, spending the last couple of years broadcasting, doing commercials and playing golf. Though he’s no longer suiting up on Sundays, he’s remained close to the organization he helped win a Super Bowl two years ago.

Whitworth has attended practices and stayed close to several players still on the team, which is awesome to see. Being a former offensive lineman, it’s only fitting that he’d hang out with that group.

Recently, he and the Rams’ O-line all had dinner together at Craig’s in Los Angeles, reconnecting with some of the guys he played with – including Rob Havenstein and Joe Noteboom.

Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson were also in the photo at the restaurant.

Andrew Whitworth among 4 former Rams playing in marquee celebrity golf tournament

Andrew Whitworth and Jerome Bettis are among four former Rams teeing it up in the star-studded American Century Championship golf tournament

The American Century Championship is the biggest celebrity golf tournament around, bringing star athletes and entertainers to the course in Tahoe each and every summer. Everyone from Justin Timberlake to Steph Curry have played in the event, and this year, a handful of former Rams players will be in the field, too.

The American Century Championship announced the participants in this year’s tournament, which will be held from July 10-14, and these four ex-Rams will be teeing it up:

  • Jerome Bettis
  • Ryan Fitzpatrick
  • Baker Mayfield
  • Andrew Whitworth

Fitzpatrick only played two years with the Rams, and Mayfield was in Los Angeles for less than half a season, but they still qualify as former members of the franchise. Like Fitzpatrick, Bettis was drafted by the Rams, spending three years with the organization from 1993-1995. Whitworth, of course, was signed in 2017 and spent five years with the Rams, helping them win Super Bowl LVI against the Bengals.

Among the other current and former NFL stars playing in the ACC tournament are Davante Adams, Tim Brown, Larry Fitzgerald, Dwight Freeney, Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Peterson. For the full field of players, click here.

Andrew Whitworth loves Bengals’ Orlando Brown Jr. and Trent Brown combo

Count Andrew Whitworth as a fan of Bengals OTs Orlando Brown Jr. and Trent Brown.

The Cincinnati Bengals appear to have what is now the league’s biggest offensive tackle duo thanks to the combination of Orlando Brown Jr. and Trent Brown.

And one guy who knows a thing or two about big offensive tackles — Andrew Whitworth — likes what he sees.

Speaking this week, Whitworth reminsinced about his days when he paired with right tackle Willie Anderson for the Bengals.

“I love it. Got to be the biggest they’ve been since me and Willie were playing together my rookie year,” Whitworth said, according to Geoff Hobson of Begnals.com. “Two monsters out there. You won’t be able to see Joe (Burrow) back there.”

The obvious hurdle to this new offensive tackle duo reaching similar heights is likely Trent Brown’s availability (which would explain the contract details for what a prove-it deal is).

But getting the approval of someone like Whitworth? That means something for a line tasked with protecting a returning-from-injury Joe Burrow.

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Andrew Whitworth talks how Bengals can keep Super Bowl window open

Andrew Whitworth talks about the future of the Bengals.

Former Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth knows a thing or two about building a good team in the local area.

Whitworth, after all, had plenty of playoff appearances with the Bengals during his time in town.

The key is obvious, too, he said this week during Super Bowl media interviews.

“If you look at the history of the Bengals in the last 20 years, their runs have been dictated by great drafts,” Whitworth said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “Not just good players who could start, but great ones. Look at what we did from 2011-15 with guys like A.J. Green, Geno Atkins, and Carlos Dunlap. And then when Joe came, there were those great drafts and now they’re at the end of that trying to keep as many of them as possible. They’ve got to kill the last draft and this one.”

The Bengals appear to be well on their way with that 2023 draft class. Defenders DJ Turner and Jordan Battle got key snaps and could start for the long-term. Wideouts Charlie Jones, Andrei Iosivas and running back Chase Brown showed big upside in their respective roles and first-rounder Myles Murphy really started coming on at the end of the season.

Of course, the Bengals still need to crush the 2024 draft class for Whitworth’s point to hit home. The team approaches that class with needs along the offensive line and defense after last year’s struggles with explosive plays.

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Andrew Whitworth explained how he inadvertently became an NFL fashion icon

Andrew Whitworth has wholeheartedly embraced making fashion statements.

A Hall of Fame-caliber offensive tackle, Andrew Whitworth didn’t take long to get comfortable trading in his shoulder pads for a microphone. The former Cincinnati Bengal and Los Angeles Ram blindside protector has been a welcome mainstay on the Thursday Night Football studio panel for the last two seasons.

If you’ve ever enjoyed seeing Whitworth talk NFL football live, you’ll note how he usually dons some kind of hoodie with a blazer draped over the top. It’s a somewhat unconventional look that has, for some people, turned him into a professional football fashion icon.

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And he didn’t even know this would happen.

In an interview with For The Win’s Christian D’Andrea at the 2024 Super Bowl Radio Row, Whitworth happily explained how his hoodie and blazer look came to be. Christian, of course, had to match him:

Whitworth was candid, clarifying that he didn’t know people would care about what we wore until he started regularly appearing on television in street clothes.

“I never knew people cared that much about what you were wearing,” Whitworth said. “I always laugh that on different social media platforms, you’ll get feedback. One person hates it, one person loves it, but the majority is love. But you never knew people cared that much about what you were wearing.”

As for how the hoodie and blazer look was born, Whitworth said he accidentally threw it together.

“It just kind of was a last-second decision [the hoodie and blazer]. I was gonna rock a hoodie the first time we went on air, and it’s been awesome. It’s kind of created some good energy, some good vibes when I walk in a place. People are proud.”

And yes, in case you were wondering, Whitworth really does have hundreds of different hoodies in his clothing arsenal to keep things fresh. (It’s still a lot, but probably not really!)

“For me, this is just my closet. Every week I get someone like, ‘Man, I wonder if Whitworth has 200 hoodies in his closet.’ Yes, I actually do have 200 hoodies in my closet. All different textures, styles, colors, you name it. I have a hoodie for everything.”

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Andrew Whitworth shares great insight on what’s causing NFL’s declining offensive line play

Andrew Whitworth has seen offensive line play in the NFL decline and he shared his thoughts on what’s causing it

Scoring across the NFL is down for the third year in a row, dropping from 24.8 points per game in 2020 to 21.7 points per game this year with four weeks remaining. Some are chalking that up to improved play on the defensive side of the ball, but offenses are struggling more than they have in recent years – in part because the protection up front has not been great in 2023.

Former Rams All-Pro Andrew Whitworth appeared on Kevin Clark’s “This Is Football” show to talk about the offensive line problem that’s growing across the league, and he shared his thoughts on what’s causing it.

For starters, Whitworth says some of the O-line he’s seen has been “rough.”

“If you went into the totality, it’s rough. There’s a lot of weeks where you look and go, ‘Man, I don’t know how we can’t find another guy – another three or four guys that are better than this,’” Whitworth said.

As for what’s causing the regression in offensive line play, Whitworth credits defensive linemen, but he also says linemen don’t have to block in college the way they have to in the NFL.

“I think there’s a lot of things. Really, you look at it, the mixture of D-linemen we’re seeing are more and more athletic. They’re bigger, they’re stronger – in the sense that they’re not worse competition, but that may be some of your offensive tackles that are now playing D-tackle or defensive end in a 3-4 that could’ve been left tackles,” he said.

He continued: “The college system isn’t anything like the NFL system. These guys barely have to block, so I just think they’re coming in unprepared.”

Whitworth went on to say the NFL has gotten a little bit too strict when it comes to limiting how much players can be in the team’s building working during the offseason.

“In the offseason, when the season ends to when we begin again in late-April or mid-April, you’re actually not allowed to even go in and work with your coach, even if you want to because of PA rules,” he said. “To me, if I’m a first-year, second-year, third-year player, I want to go in the building. This is how I’m going to provide for my family, my life. This is the game, the job I want. I’m not allowed to work with the person that’s employing me? That to me seems a little crazy. That’s a little too far. And I understand, ‘Oh, don’t pressure them to come up here.’ Last I checked, we’re all grown adults. You make your decisions for yourself. If you want to be great at your job and your boss offers you an opportunity to come get mentored and tutored, how about you take advantage of it. And if you don’t want to do it, just say you don’t and take the risk that that won’t affect you going forward.”

Whitworth makes a lot of good points in his take on O-line play, and the whole segment is worth listening to.

Andrew Whitworth has interesting comment on Joe Burrow injury, Bengals

Big Whit with some interesting comments about the Joe Burrow injury.

The Cincinnati Bengals don’t appear to have many silver linings in the wake of Joe Burrow’s season-ending injury.

But modern franchise great Andrew Whitworth has found one.

Speaking with Fox News Digital before the Thanksgiving slate of games, Whitworth said that one of the good aspects to emerge from the injury is that new players need to step up.

“I think in some ways it can be really good for your football team because new guys are going to have to step up,” Whitworth said, according to Fox News’ Scott Thompson. “You’re going to have to have this resolve that Joe’s not there, but we’re going to go play in a certain way that represents the style that he would be leading us through. You’re going to have to have somebody on that offensive side of the football that takes the reins for that.”

This was one of our big best-case scenarios when outlining the best and worst possible outcomes from Burrow’s injury over the long-term. Rookies, especially those on the defensive side of the ball (and perhaps a wideout like Andrei Iosivas) will need to step up big.

Case in point, the promotion of rookie safety Jordan Battle to start from here on out after he impressed last week. He and names like rookie corner DJ Turner will get key reps for the remainder of the season for a defense that has never looked right because of so much turnover in the secondary.

The Bengals might be open to even more of that as the season continues if they keep falling in the standings, possibly spurring more development from long-term key contributors in future seasons.

It’s not much — and the playoffs aren’t out of reach — but it’s better than nothing, as Whitworth illustrates.

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Rob Havenstein took a page from Andrew Whitworth on Sunday and Sean McVay loved it

Rob Havenstein took a page out of Andrew Whitworth’s book on Sunday and Sean McVay loved it so much that he called Big Whit after the game

When Sean McVay decided to go run-heavy in the second half of Sunday’s game against the Cardinals, the Rams took over. They shut out Arizona the rest of the way, 20-0, playing a more physical style of football than they did in the first half.

Matthew Stafford loved it, Kevin Dotson did, too. And Rob Havenstein wanted McVay took keep the run plays coming.

On the “Coach McVay Show” Monday, D’Marco Farr pointed out to the coach how Havenstein pulled a page from Andrew Whitworth’s book with his “keep it going” hand motion during the game. McVay noticed that, too, and he absolutely loved it.

“It’s so funny, I called Whit after the game and told him, I said, ‘Bro, you would’ve been so proud of Big Rob. He was giving me one of your deals.’ I told Rob I loved it,” McVay said.

McVay is a players’ coach who always listens to what his guys have to say, and that was one instance where he trusted the offensive line and ground game to keep imposing their will against the Cardinals, knowing they wanted to continue running it. The result was eight straight run plays to open the second half, gaining 60 yards and leading to a touchdown.

“Those are the things that, hey, it’s about the players,” McVay said. “Always has been, always will be. I love that kind of stuff. When they were feeling it, they were able to get in a rhythm, they were able to set their pads and they certainly executed. I did love that when he was doing that. That came pretty early after those first couple of runs ended up hitting on that first drive of the second half.”

Whitworth and McVay had a great relationship, both on and off the field, and the veteran left tackle was always willing to share his thoughts with the coach. Havenstein has taken on more of a leadership role in the offensive line room, especially after being voted a captain, so it’s fitting that he’d pull one of Whitworth’s moves on Sunday.

Andrew Whitworth loved these 2 huge blocks by Steve Avila: ‘This makes me so happy’

Andrew Whitworth is a huge fan of Steve Avila and he loved these 2 massive blocks by the rookie guard on Sunday

Andrew Whitworth put plenty of defenders on their backs over the course of his career in the NFL, so when he sees a lineman do the same, it excites him. Brandon Thorn shared a video on social media Monday that showed two massive blocks by Rams rookie Steve Avila during the team’s win over the Cardinals in Week 6.

Twice Avila put the defensive end on the turf with brutal blocks, helping out his left tackle, Alaric Jackson. Avila didn’t have anyone to block on the two plays because the Cardinals were rushing four, so he went looking for work and found a couple of guys to plant on the ground.

Whitworth saw Thorn’s post and loved the two plays made by Avila.

“My heart be still! This makes me so happy,” Whitworth posted.

Avila has been arguably the best rookie lineman in the NFL this season, always playing with an edge like you see in the clips above. That’s the sort of attitude and aggressiveness the Rams need along the offensive line and Avila is happy to bring it.

Andrew Whitworth hilariously carried Kevin Hart off the Thursday Night Football set and made it look so easy

Do you want to see Andrew Whitworth pick up Kevin Hart? Of course you do!

In “things you didn’t think you’d see on television on Thursday,” former NFL tackle Andrew Whitworth literally picked up actor and comedian Kevin Hart and carried him off the Thursday Night Football set.

As Hart is still recovering from injuries sustained by trying to race a former NFL running back in a 40-yard dash, he was well enough to come cheer on his Philadelphia Eagles at home as they took on the Minnesota Vikings.

Since Hart might not be 100-percent from his injuries, Whitworth decided to literally pick Hart up and carry him safely off the stage while Hart joked with him to not drop him on the way down.

Whitworth is a very strong person, and he picked up Hart with ease and set him safely on the sideline to watch the game after the latter’s TNF appearance.

Hey, we know someone like Whitworth is always great at protecting the quarterback, but he’s also great at protecting a recovering funny man, too.