In an expected move, Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth has announced his retirement. The 40-year-old will end his carer on a high note, having won the Super Bowl with Los Angeles. 

The veteran confirmed the decision via an Instagram video. In it, he expresses his gratitude for the career he’s put together, which is filled with a number of accomplishments he lists. Included among those is two accolades collected this past season – a Super Bowl title and the 2021 Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

A second round pick in 2015, the former LSU Tiger quickly established himself as one of the best left tackles in the league during his time with the Bengals. He earned three Pro Bowls and one first-team All Pro nod during that span, though the team’s lack of playoff success throughout that 11-year stretch apparently weighed on him.

He joined the Rams in 2017, where he carried on at the high standard he had already established. He was named an All Pro and Pro Bowler once again, and continued to play at a high level for another four campaigns. At the age of 40 this season, he became the oldest player to suit up as an offensive tackle, something which is notable in its own regard, let alone the caliber of play he set that record at.

Whitworth earned a PFF grade of 86.1 in 2021 en route to the Super Bowl title. He was therefore able to maintain a remarkably high level of play right to the end of a storied career. With a championship to his name, and the respect of everyone throughout the NFL, Whitworth will certainly leave a lasting legacy.

Prior to his Super Bowl victory, Rams offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth hinted that he was considering retirement. Now armed with a championship ring, the veteran admitted today that he’s leaning toward hanging up his cleats.

Andrew Whitworth previously indicated that he wouldn’t retire following the season. However, when asked if he’d consider hanging up his cleats if the Rams win the Super Bowl, the left tackle hinted that he would think about calling it a career.

“What an unreal way to walk off,” Whitworth said when asked if he’d retire following a Super Bowl victory (via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Twitter). “I don’t think there’s anything else I would have to do.”

This runs counter to what we heard in December. Then, Whitworth said he wanted to keep playing for as long as possible, cautioning that he’d only retire if “the Rams can’t afford me” or “it doesn’t work out for the both of us for me to be back.” Whitworth is under contract through the 2022 season, when his cap hit rises from its current figure of $5.67MM to $14.67MM.

At that time, the 16-year veteran had just become the first left tackle to start an NFL game at the age of 40, and he was one of only two active players this year older than 40 (along with Tom Brady).

A Bengals second-round pick in 2006, Whitworth played in Cincinnati for the first 11 years of his career. The four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All Pro has been with the Rams since 2017 and has consistently been one of the league’s pass protectors. Now, he’ll be looking to secure his first Super Bowl ring against his former squad, and a win could end up being the cherry on top of a standout career.

As he approaches a career milestone and a piece of NFL history, Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth has no plans of hanging up his cleats at the end of the season. He intends to keep playing as long as possible, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com notes.

When the 16-year veteran suits up for the Rams’ game against the Cardinals on Monday, Whitworth will become the first left tackle to start an NFL game at the age of 40. The game will come one day after his birthday and make him the only active player other than Tom Brady to be playing into his 40s.

A Bengals second-round pick in 2006, Whitworth played in Cincinnati for the first 11 years of his career. The four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All Pro has been with the Rams since 2017 and has consistently been one of the league’s pass protectors.

“To me, the only way that I would retire is there’d have to be a situation where either financially the Rams can’t afford me or there’s just some way where it doesn’t work out for the both of us for me to be back,” Whitworth said, via Thiry. “So that would really be the only scenario where I would ever really see me retiring.”

Whitworth is under contract through the 2022 season, when his cap hit rises from its current figure of $5.67MM to $14.67MM.

Andrew Whitworth is the rare NFL player who has been able to consistently stave off father time. But it appears even the ageless Rams tackle might be nearing the end.

Whitworth, 39, appeared on a recent episode of former NFL defensive end Chris Long’s ‘Green Lights’ podcast and said the 2021 season would likely be his last, via Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com. Speaking of a serious injury he suffered during his time with the Bengals, Whitworth said “I was like, if I get through this, I want to try to play until 40. And that was just like — I didn’t think that was realistic or that it’d ever happen. But I was like, I want to try to do that.”

He’s pretty close to making that a reality, as he’ll turn 40 in December. “So this year, to me, it feels like this is it. This is like, I’ve put everything into trying to play this season and play at the level I want to. I feel like this will probably be the end, but I mean, all my closest friends would tell you that I’ve said that for about seven straight years. So I don’t know how believable that is, but it feels like it is,” he explained.

If this really is the end of the road, Whitworth will be wrapping up a remarkable career this season. Drafted by Cincy all the way back in 2006, Whitworth is a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro.

He had an MCL tear with PCL damage that cost him the last seven games of 2020, but he still battled his way back to return for the Rams’ playoff run. Despite his advanced age, he’ll be counted on to be a big part of Los Angeles’ new-look offense with Matthew Stafford under center.

Of course, even while saying he’ll likely be hanging up his cleats, the LSU product did leave the door open to potentially giving it another go in 2022.