Getty Andrew Whitworth during the April 28, 2022 NFL Draft.
Andrew Whitworth and Aqib Talib are going to have a Los Angeles Rams reunion with a new team.
But instead of wearing shoulder pads, helmet and the Rams horns, they will be wearing suits, ties and talking about the Rams plus other NFL franchises in front of a live audience this football season.
The Team Both Former Rams are Officially Joining Plus Reaction From ‘Big Whit’
Amazon announced on the morning of Thursday, July 21 that the former Rams are officially joining the Thursday Night Football team for the 2022 season.
It’s the first time Whitworth and Talib will get paired together since after their 2018 NFC title run — which was also Talib’s last Super Bowl appearance.
Whitworth shared his excitement about his newest endeavor in a press release from Amazon.
“I’m excited to start this next chapter of my NFL life with the Prime Video team, and I look forward to being part of football in a whole new way this fall,” Whitworth said through the release, which was also shared on the Rams team website.
The reigning Walter Payton Man of the Year is joining the Thursday Night Football crew! 🙌
#TNFonPrime | Only on @PrimeVideo
This will be the first post-NFL job Whitworth will hold. The veteran who played until his 40s became a fixture of the Rams’ offensive line as their top blindside protector. He earned a Pro Bowl and All-Pro nod as a Ram in 2017, which came in head coach Sean McVay’s first season. It was the second time in his career he achieved both accolades — the other being the 2015 season while with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Whitworth only missed the playoffs once in his Rams career. Of course, his career culminated in winning his first and only Super Bowl on February 13, 2022 against his former team.
Talib Continuing Broadcasting Career
While the studio will technically be new for Talib, he’s become no stranger to the broadcast realm.
Talib was recently a color commentator for Fox Sports during the 2021 regular season. The former Rams cornerback was also part of the Rams preseason team coverage with NFL Network personality Andrew Siciliano and ESPN NFL personality Mina Kimes.
Talib also launched his own podcast “Catchin’ Fades” in 2021 which featured guests in former Ram Marcus Peters and an interview with Rams All-Pro Jalen Ramsey.
The complete Amazon lineup now consists of:
Studio: Charissa Thompson, another well-known Fox Sports host, will be handling the hosting duties of the pregame show for Amazon. She will not only be joined by Whitworth and Talib in studio, but Amazon is also having former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, fellow Fox personality and NFL hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez and free agent All-Pro cornerback plus Super Bowl 48 champion Richard Sherman. Amazon is set to have a six-person studio lineup once they start handling the TNF coverage in September.
Broadcast: Legendary play-by-play announcer Al Michaels will join Amazon and work alongside well-know ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit. Amazon also announced that Kaylee Hartung of ABC News is also joining the duo as the sideline reporter.
“We are thrilled to announce these new additions to our Thursday Night Football team,” Marie Donoghue, Prime Video’s Vice President, Global Sports Video, said in the same release. “Kaylee Hartung will bring her world-class reporting skills to our game coverage every Thursday and Super Bowl winning Pro Bowlers Andrew Whitworth and Aqib Talib are proven champions who will bring their unique insights to our NFL coverage every week.”
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Ex-Rams OL Andrew Whitworth Reacts to Joining New Team & Past Teammate