Getty Andrew Whitworth talks to his former quarterback Jared Goff after halftime of the 2019 Super Bowl. Whitworth went on "Good Morning Football" on Friday acknowledging the 2021 Super Bowl hype for the Rams.
If this is truly the last ride for Andrew Whitworth, he’s about to play for a Los Angeles Rams team that gives him his best chance of finally giving the 16-year veteran his first Super Bowl title.
The left tackle acknowledges that it’s Super Bowl title or bust, talking to Maurice Jones-Drew, Kyle Brandt and the rest of the NFL Network crew on the Friday edition of “Good Morning Football.”
“For us, that’s just the truth,” Whitworth said. “We’ve figured out how to win playoff games, we’ve made some runs in the postseason. And this time for us and this opportunity we feel like with this team, nothing short of going to that Super Bowl and winning it is good enough. And that’s really the expectation level for us, even though we know that’s a slippery slope. But that’s where we want to be. And if that’s what you want, then you got to be able to speak about it and let people know that that’s the only thing you see is the goal, and the only thing you see as accomplishing this season is just going and winning a Super Bowl.”
Whitworth Also Addresses ‘Final Season’ Talk
Whitworth already created quite the buzz in the NFL world and among Rams fans on the June 29 edition of the “Green Light” podcast with former Ram Chris Long, saying “It feels like this is it,” when asked if 2021 would be his final NFL year.
Whitworth told GMF, though, that he’s dealt with teammates in the past who don’t believe it because they’ve heard that talk from him before.
“Over the years, I’ve got teammates calling me a liar for saying that. Because every year I tell them in the locker room ‘This is it. This is the last one,'” Whitworth said.
So why come back yet again? Whitworth said overcoming his devastating knee injury is one reason on why he’s not ready to turn in his pads forever.
“After overcoming this challenge, I realize time’s ticking and you want to respond to challenges. And that was a challenge presented to me,” Whitworth said. “And I want to respond the right way.”
Whitworth Embracing Being a Leader on a Contender
May 17 was the start of Whitworth and the Rams’ OTA period. But three days later, Whitworth showed his verbal leadership side before the Rams broke out of a huddle.
Whitworth is one who embraces wearing the “C” on his uniform for the Rams, saying “I think the greatest parts of being a leader, a captain and being a guy who is in this position in bringing guys along with you and understanding the big picture, I get the opportunity to be around guys and encourage them to just keep being themselves and keep going about that daily process.”
One message “Whit” shares with his guys: Addressing the proverbial big picture.
“You can get worried about the big picture,” Whitworth acknowledged. “But truth is, your habits every single day you wake up and every single day you show up to work will be what gets us to where we want to go. So make sure those are on par with where you want to be and the success you want to have and we’ll be alright. Every single day we’ve got to win one at a time. There’s going to be days that’s going to be a struggle, but how we respond to the next one is what tells the story.”
And with the addition of new quarterback Matthew Stafford, adding veteran DeSean Jackson and revamping the offense with more deep threats, plus having a healthy blindside protector in “Whit,” the veteran and his team knows there’s Super Bowl talk. But the chatter fuels them to have title winning expectations.
“I think we’re really excited about this year and really excited that, you know what, we won’t shy away from the expectations we have for ourselves,” Whitworth said. “We look forward to the challenge.”