Andrew Whitworth will turn 40 years old on Sunday, and on Monday night he’ll start for the Rams against the Cardinals and become the first 40-year-old starting left tackle in NFL history. And he’s not done yet.
Whitworth is under contract to the Rams next year for a $7.5 million base salary plus a $5.5 million roster bonus, and he says if the Rams want to keep paying him, he wants to keep playing for them.
“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 ESPN. “So that would really be the only scenario where I would ever really see me retiring.”
Rams coach Sean McVay sounds like he wants Whitworth back next year.
“He sure has meant a lot to this organization both on and off the field,” McVay said. “I think sometimes you take for granted that he’s 40 years old. If you didn’t know with the bald head and stuff like that, I mean he moves around like he’s young and he’s got great athleticism.”
Next year, Whitworth may become the NFL’s first 41-year-old starting left tackle.
