NFL Network host Peter Schrager, the host of Good Morning Football, made a bold suggestion for the Cincinnati Bengals this week that could actually be a brilliant idea.
Schrager said Amazon NFL analyst Andrew Whitworth, who retired from the NFL after the 2021 season, should come out of retirement and play for the Bengals for the final weeks of the regular season and the playoffs.
The Bengals need a right tackle due to La’el Collins tearing his ACL. Whitworth played for Cincinnati from 2006 to 2016.
This wouldn’t be a foolproof plan — Whitworth is 41 years old and hasn’t played a down of football this season.
Here’s Schrager’s pitch:
“@AndrewWhitworth should finish the Amazon season Thursday, demand the best table at Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse, part ownership of the Reds, and tickets to every Bearcats game- football and basketball- & sign with the @Bengals to be their OT for the playoff stretch.”
–@Pschrags pic.twitter.com/PraZKyW7tn— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) December 27, 2022
Whitworth, however, isn’t that far removed from his playing days. He might not be in perfect football shape, but he’s a veteran who could probably step onto the field without missing a beat.
And it’s not like the Bengals need Whitworth for an entire season. They would just need him for a little over a month (they hope it’s a little over a month at least).
What better way for Whitworth to put a bow on his career than coming back for the playoffs with the team that drafted him?
Whitworth spent a lot of fruitless years in Cincinnati (he never made it past the Wild Card round of the playoffs with the Bengals). This could be his chance to be a part of something special with the franchise that gave him a shot in the NFL.
It would also give him a chance to achieve those goals with a couple of fellow former LSU players in Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.
It sounds like a foolproof plan to me. Make it happen, Cincy.
