Andrew Whitworth’s Cincinnati Bengals History

Andrew Whitworth Los Angeles Rams Cincinnati Bengals

Getty Left tackle Andrew Whitworth will be facing his former team in the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.

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ndrew Whitworth won zero playoff games as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals for 11 years. Now five seasons later, Whitworth will play in his second Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Feb. 13.

But the Bengals finally broke through with three playoff wins in January, and Whitworth will face his former team in the biggest game of the season.

“It’s a really special place to us,” Whitworth said of Cincinnati during video press conference.

“Both places have my heart and both places have people I believe in. It’s really special and cool moment for me to play in this game and to play against a place that means so much to me.”


Andrew Whitworth Spent 11 Seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals

From 2006-16, Whitworth started 164 games for the Bengals. During that 11-year stretch, he only missed eight games, all of which came during the 2008 and 2013 seasons.

The 168 games Whitworth played for the Bengals is ranked 13th-most in team history. Anthony Munoz, Willie Anderson and Bruce Kozerski are the only offensive linemen who have played more games for the Bengals than Whitworth.

Cincinnati drafted Whitworth in the second round with the 55th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft. He started 12 games as a rookie. During his 11 seasons with the Bengals, Whitworth started at least 10 games in each of them. He started at left tackle and left guard during his first three seasons before solidifying left tackle permanently for the Bengals from 2009-16.

With Whitworth, Cincinnati earned playoff berths in 2009 and five straight seasons from 2011-15. Each appearance ended in disappointment, though, as the Bengals went 0-6 in those postseasons.

Since then, the Bengals are 3-0 in the playoffs with all three wins having come this season. Meanwhile, the Rams have a 6-3 playoff record with Whitworth as a starter.


Andrew Whitworth Keeps Getting Better With Age

While Whitworth was immediately a solid starter for the Bengals, he didn’t make his first Pro Bowl until his seventh season in 2012. Whitworth made his first All-Pro team during his 10th season at 34.

During his Bengals career, Whitworth made three Pro Bowls and the 2015 All-Pro team. He arguably should have received more accolades. Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport argued Whitworth should have made the All-Pro team in 2014.

After turning 35 in December 2016, the Rams offered a three-year, $36 million contract with $15 million guaranteed to Whitworth. With that offer, one of the best Bengals of the past decade walked out the door.

That offseason, Around the NFL ranked Whitworth the 17th-best free agent but was expected to re-sign with the Bengals. Although a three-year contract was a long deal to offer a 35-year-old, it has proved to be an excellent deal for the Rams.

Whitworth has started 71 games with the Rams in five years, having only sat out 10 contests. He has missed nine of those contests over the last two seasons since turning 38.

During his first season with the Rams, Whitworth made his second All-Pro team in 2017.

With 239 games played in his career, Whitworth is in the NFL’s Top 100 in games played in league history. He’s 14th all-time among offensive linemen in games played.

Super Bowl LVI will be the second time Whitworth faces his former team. The Rams last played the Bengals in London during the 2019 season. The Rams won, 24-10.

The NFL named Whitworth the 2021 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year on Thursday at the NFL Honors. The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award is given annually to a player in “recognition of his outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on it.”