Two Cool Andrew Whitworth Stories From His Days With the Bengals
CINCINNATI — Andrew Whitworth injured his knee against the Seahawks on Sunday.
The good news is that the 38-year-old may return this season. Whitworth didn't tear his ACL, like some originally thought. Instead, he suffered a torn MCL and damage to his PCL in his left knee. He could be back in 6-8 weeks.
It's great news for the longtime Bengals offensive lineman.
Most people in Cincinnati point to Whitworth's departure in 2017 as the beginning of the end—not only of the Marvin Lewis era, but of the Bengals' winning ways.
They qualified for the playoffs in six of Whitworth's final eight seasons in Cincinnati, including five straight years from 2011-15.
They haven't won more than six games in a season since he signed with Los Angeles in free agency. The Bengals low-balled Whitworth and he bolted.
No one blames him for leaving. Bengals fans still root for him from afar.
Whitworth has been one of the NFL's best offensive tackles this season. He's earned an 88.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. He hasn't allowed a sack or quarterback hit in 599 snaps.
No one could've predicted this type of longevity from Whitworth, but the Bengals were high on him prior to the 2006 NFL Draft. Ultimately, they selected him in the second-round (55th overall).
Whitworth blew away Marvin Lewis and Paul Alexander at the NFL Combine prior to the draft according to Sports Illustrated's Greg Bishop.
"Way back at the ’06 NFL scouting combine, a meeting took place inside a small room in Indianapolis. Three men sat at a table: Whitworth, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis and Paul Alexander, the offensive line coach. Whitworth waxed about Katrina and Saban and his collection of championships from high school and college. When the meeting ended, Lewis turned to Alexander. “S---,” he said. “If we’re lucky enough to draft him, I won’t need you.” Lewis had no idea then how long Whitworth would play, or even that Whitworth would play that long for him. Instead, he saw an everywhere-he-goes impact, the kind that would come to define a man and his long career."
Lewis wanted the Bengals to retain Whitworth in 2017. They didn't and it cost them in the trenches. He went on to sign a three-year, $36 million deal with the Rams. He signed a second contract (3-year, $30 million) with Los Angeles prior to the 2020 season.
Former Bengals quarterback Jordan Palmer saw this coming. In fact, he called it way back in 2008 according to Bishop.
"As backup quarterback Jordan Palmer witnessed an anonymous giant cull a small but fierce cult of celebrity, he remembers saying something, way back in 2008, that sounds prophetic now. “Whit is going to play as long as he wants,” Palmer told a teammate. “He’s the guy who, at the end, they’ll beg him to play one more year.” And one more year. And one more year …"
No one could've predicted this. Whitworth has been an ironman. It would be silly to doubt him now. Odds are he'll recover from the knee injury and be back in time for the playoffs. If not, expect to see him at left tackle for the Rams in 2021.
Whitworth is ageless. He's the Tom Brady of left tackles.
Hopefully he can return this season and make a difference for the Rams in the playoffs.
Check out Greg Bishop's outstanding feature on Whitworth here.
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