Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth, who at 40 is the oldest player in the NFL, said Wednesday he will make a decision on retirement “in a couple of weeks.”
Whitworth made the comment during an interview on the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz.
A 16-year veteran, Whitworth is coming off the Rams’ 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Benglas in Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13. He also was named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year on the Thursday before the game. That award is the top off-field honor an NFL player can earn.
“You want to give it time,” Whitworth said Wednesday about his retirement decision. “In a couple of weeks, I’ll sit down and make an official decision of some kind. But you’ve got to get enough separation (from the game).
“Unfortunately, when you have a really long season like we did, you don’t have as much time. But you get as much as you can away from it and see where you’re at.”
Whitworth, who turned 40 on Dec. 12, has spent the past five seasons with the Rams after playing his first 11 for the Bengals. He has played in 239 NFL games (235 starts) in the regular season and has 15 starts in the postseason. Whitworth is a four-time Pro Bowl selection and a two-time All-Pro.
After Whitworth won the Walter Payton award, Rams coach Sean McVay said he was in awe of the veteran’s accomplishments.
“I can’t say enough about what he has meant to me personally as a coach and a person,” McVay said. “I’m so grateful for him. He’s been an instrumental part in everything that is right about the Rams the last five years.”
–Field Level Media