2 min read • February 04, 2022
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The day before Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth was born, boxing legend Muhammad Ali lost his last career fight.
Following 44-year-old Tom Brady’s retirement, Whitworth is the oldest active player in the NFL at 40 years old.
He will be the seventh player to play in a Super Bowl at 40 or older when he faces his former team in Super Bowl LVI. Four of the six previous players were kickers or punters. The other two were Brady and Jerry Rice.
Whitworth, a former 2006 draft pick of the Bengals, has been instrumental in the Rams' offensive production this season. The team ranked fifth in passing yards and allowed the seventh-least sacks during the regular season.
A mild MCL sprain/high ankle injury in his right leg kept him out of the Divisional Round win over the Buccaneers, but he returned and played in the NFC Championship although not up to his usual form.
His mobility was clearly limited in the game, but he performed reasonably well while pass blocking, said Dr. David Chao, ProFootballDoc.
Whitworth's backup, Joe Noteboom, filled in admirably against the Buccaneers, but suffered a strained pec and was inactive for the NFC Championship.
Although Whitworth was not 100% against the 49ers, he should be near 100% when the Rams face the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.
He was not listed on the Rams' injury report this week and gets next week to rest the injury.
Mild MCL sprains are typically a 1-2 week injury for linemen, meaning Whitworth should look more like himself in the Super Bowl, Chao said.
The four-time Pro Bowler will likely matchup with Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, who had 14 sacks in the regular season and has 2.5 sacks in three playoff games.
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