All good things must come to an end.
Andrew Whitworth, a 16-year-veteran, announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday. To share the news with everyone, the Rams’ All-Pro tackle shared an emotional video on Instagram, thanking those who have been part of his career.
Whitworth spent 16 years in the NFL, with the past five seasons coming with the Rams. The veteran tackle was one of the first free-agent signings in the Sean McVay era and there’s an argument to be had that he’s the best free-agent signing in franchise history.
During the video, Whitworth thanked all of his teammates on the Cincinnati Bengals and the Rams, along with thanking those he competed against. While naming his accolades, Whitworth uttered that he finished his career as a Super Bowl champion, which is something that not many players get to do.
But the award he saved for last was the Walter Payton Man of the Year trophy he won this past season, showing that what he did off of the field was just as important to him as what he did on it. There’s a good chance Whitworth adds a gold jacket to his collection of accolades sometime in the future.
Throughout the video, Whitworth made it clear that while his playing career is over, he still has a desire to remain involved with football in some capacity. Whatever Whitworth decides to do moving forward, he’ll have thousands of people rooting for him.
