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The Los Angeles Rams and LT Andrew Whitworth are “confident a deal will get done without incident”, per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport:
Andrew Whitworth is a free agent, and the #Rams and his agents at @_SportsTrust would need to work out a contract. There is confidence it will happen without incident. https://t.co/zvteyn7WZ1
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 4, 2020
This is great news for a team that is lacking offensive line options. When the 2019 NFL season ended, the 38-year-old Whitworth gave off the impression he was willing to give it another season, and all signs pointed to it being in Los Angeles with the Rams:
After last night's game, @RamsNFL LT Andrew Whitworth, who recently turned 38, told me he hopes to keep playing in 2020: "My intention is to play football. We'll see if it works out." @AroundTheNFL @nflnetwork
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) December 22, 2019
Now, obviously, the Rams and Whit will need to work out an extension that works for both sides, though it shouldn’t be too tough for the sides to find common ground. Whit is obviously at the tail end of his career and would prefer to stay put and play for another shot at a Super Bowl, while the Rams should look to retain their best offensive lineman and provide some stability for a unit that severely lacked it this past season.
With the only other potential LT option on the roster being third-year OT Joseph Noteboom (who is recovering from a torn ACL), the Rams would be wise to hand Whitworth a deal similar to his original one with the Rams. Whitworth’s original contract was a three-year $33.750m deal averaging $11.250m per year.
Stay tuned for updates in the coming weeks, as a potential deal between the Rams and Big Whit is a real possibility.