Rams OT Andrew Whitworth May Retire After 2021 Season

Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth is talking about the season ahead, and he says it may be his last in the NFL.

Whitworth has been one of the best linemen for the Rams over the last four years. Before that, he spent 11 seasons protecting Cincinnati Bengals quarterbacks.

He initially inked a three-year deal with the Rams at age 35, but then Los Angeles gave him three more years, pushing the contract till 2022.

“I set a goal in 2013, I had a patella injury and just was kind of getting frustrated with it and I was like, ‘If I get through this, I want to try to play till 40.’ I didn’t think it was realistic or that it’d happen, but I was like, ‘I want to try to do that.’ This year, to me, it feels like this is it,” Whitworth, who turns 40 this December, said.

“I’ve put everything into trying to play this season and playing at the level I want to. I feel like this will probably be the end, but also, all my closest friends will tell you that I’ve said that for about seven straight years, so I don’t know how believable it is, but it feels like it is.”

Last season, Whitworth came back from a significant knee injury and played in the Rams' two playoff games. Tom Brady can laugh all he wants, but that isn't too bad for a 39-year-old veteran OT.