This may be the classiest NFL retirement announcement in the history of the game

The LA Rams became instant competitors when the team hired a young Sean McVay to become the new head coach of the team in 2017. But even the best generals need excellent officers, sergeants, and troops, and Coach McVay was no exception. He was gifted by an excellent rookie class in 2017. Even though WR Cooper Kupp is the lone veteran to remain from that class, and John Johnson returned to compete in horns in 2022, that class established a solid foundation for the team's offense, and ultimately a Super Bowl run.

But the Rams were also quite active in the 2017 NFL Free agency market. I am not certain if that is discussed enough. In 2017, the team's front office was simply not focused on projecting awarded compensatory draft picks. This was a team that sought veteran leadership to establish a winning culture on the roster. Let's revisit the players signed as free agents that year:

Player	Position	Prev Team	# yrs on Rams	Starter?	Did they compete in SB LIII?
Connor Barwin	OLB	Eagles	1	Yes	No
Lance Dunbar	RB	Cowboys	1	No	No
Nickell Robey-Coleman	DB	Bills	3	Yes, 4 games	Yes
John Sullivan	C	Commanders (Redskins)	2	Yes	Yes
Kayvon Webster	DB	Broncos	1	Yes	No
Andrew Whitworth	LT	Bengals	5	Yes	Yes
Robert Woods	WR	Bills	5	Yes	Yes

It is quite clear that the team was heavily invested in adding new (but familiar) faces to the team's roster as veterans who understood the new offensive and defensive concepts that were installed as part of the 2017 playbook.

One notable veteran, left tackle Andrew Whitworth, arrived to the team having competed 11 seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals. Despite numerous playoff appearances with his former team, Whitworth did not compete in an NFL Championship Game until he played on the Rams roster. With this team, he appeared in two Super Bowls over the span of four seasons, and opted to go out on top, informing his children of his decision to retire on the football field of SoFi Stadium, just moments after the Rams defeated the Bengals:

“That was daddy’s last football game.”

2 years ago, @AndrewWhitworth went out on top for his family's sake 🥹 pic.twitter.com/R3dDRUzdIA
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) February 27, 2024

Of all Super Bowl moments in history, and all achievements accomplished by the Rams blind-side left tackle, that moment is perhaps my favorite. Nothing says how important his family was to this father than to sit on the field of battle and tell his children that football is over, and a new chapter in their lives was about to begin.

Of course, finding his permanent replacement is easier said than done.

Sometimes the greatest moments in the NFL are not football moments at all. Not everyone will understand what that means, but for those that do, thank you.

And once again, thanks for reading.

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