Former Rams LT Andrew Whitworth says people want him to join the Cowboys but do they want him?
While he’s most likely still capable of playing the kind of football that won him a Super Bowl this year, surely the idea is too farfetched, isn’t it?
Having lost one of their best players, the Cowboys now have the headache of trying to find cover for the position. Interestingly, one of their best options may be a choice nobody saw coming.
Is Andrew Whitworth the right man for the Cowboys?
When news broke earlier this week, that Dallas Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith had suffered an avulsion fracture of the knee, it wasn’t just a blow for the player or his team. In truth, it was something felt by the wider league as well. With that Jerry Jones and the franchise had to face the harsh reality of finding a replacement for one of their most important players. Some suspected they would look internally, while others imagined a scenario where they would trade, especially considering the fact that they have the cap space to do it. It now seems, however, that neither of those options could be how it plays out. Indeed, America’s team are being linked with a move for recently retired left tackle Andrew Whitworth.
As fans will recalled the bearded big man called time on his NFL career in February following his Super Bowl win with the Los Angeles Rams. Talk about going out on a high. Following his announcement, Whitworth then joined Amazon’s NFL coverage team. At 40-years-old, Whitworth spent some 16 seasons in the NFL, but given how recently he hung up his cleats, it would be reasonable to assume he’s still got it. How did the speculation about Dallas come up? It was during Thursday night’s preseason game between the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans, when Whitworth was asked if his phone had been ringing since Smith’s injury was announced. “It has,” Whitworth said. “I mean, obviously, there’s been some things with the Cowboys and losing Tyron Smith. It’s just an awful deal. Such a great player, and a guy I’ve always just loved watching play. It’s been a busy day of answering calls. The problem is they’re calling and texting the wrong person. They need to be texting and calling Melissa Whitworth and the kids, because they have final approval on whether I’m ever going to play football again.”
Did the Cowboys actually contact Andrew Whitworth?
While many initially believed that Whitworth was essentially stating that he’d had contact with the Cowboys, he was quick to dismiss the idea on social media. “Not what I said,” Whitworth tweeted in response to an article published saying he had indicated Dallas reached out to him. “I said I answered calls and text from people all day since the injury. Begging me to go to the cowboys! Thx.” Of course, things only intensified after Cowboys LB Micah Parson got involved in the discussion with a tweet of his own. See for yourself:
Could Andrew Whitworth actually play for the Cowboys?
As mentioned before, the general belief is that the Cowboys will keep things in house. While sources have indicated that the franchise has been monitoring the free agent market, there has been no concrete report suggesting that they’ve found an option. With that in mind, it seems unlikely that Dallas will turn to Whitworth who is actually still under contract. Indeed, there have been no reports to suggest that he’s even on Dallas’ radar. At any rate, stranger things have happened in the NFL.