Andrew Whitworth Announces Return to Rams amid Talk of Retirement

Offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth announced his return to the Los Angeles Rams for the 2019 season on Tuesday:

The 37-year-old is a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro selection. He was excellent in 2018, earning a grade of 86.1 (third among offensive tackles) from Pro Football Focus.

Mike Johnson of PFF wrote, "A true ironman, Whitworth's career overall grade of 93.4 ranks third among offensive tackles in the PFF era, behind the all-time greats of Jonathan Ogden and Joe Thomas."

That always made it logical for Whitworth to return considering the high level he continued to play at for the Rams.

However, after the team's disappointing 13-3 loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII, he hinted he may consider moving on when asked about the possibility of retiring (h/t Kevin Patra of NFL.com):

"You know, I don't know. Some guys in the locker room were begging me to not say anything like that. So, you know, I have no idea. I really don't. I still love playing. I still love the game. I still feel great. Still play at a high level. We'll see. I'll let the offseason play out and kinda see what's best for the franchise, what's best for me, and we'll kind of see what happens."

Ultimately, though, he decided to return for a 14th season.

Whitworth spent the first 11 years of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals, protecting Carson Palmer and Andy Dalton, before spending the last two seasons with the Rams. His return is excellent news for the team as it seeks to reach the Super Bowl again.