Andrew Whitworth clashes with Mike Florio over on-air comments that started Cowboys rumors

Abraham Smith

Andrew Whitworth said on Thursday night’s broadcast of the matchup between the 49ers and the Texans that he was called to sign with the Cowboys. However, he never stated who the calls came from.

After reports picked up on this as team officials scramble to bring the Bengals and Rams’ former offensive tackles out of retirement, Whitworth quickly corrected the record, instead saying it was fans and friends who were asking him to play for the Cowboys , not the Dallas officials themselves .

Here’s what Whitworth said on the show when asked if he’d received calls from teams releasing him from retirement:

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“It has, I mean, obviously there were some things with the Cowboys and the loss of Tyron Smith. It’s just a terrible thing. Such a great player and a guy I always enjoyed watching play. It’s been a busy day answering calls,” Whitworth said. “The problem is they call and text the wrong person. They need to write and call Melissa Whitworth and the kids because they have the final say on whether I will ever play football again.”

The Cowboys obviously need a player of Whitworth’s caliber after Tyron Smith tore his hamstring with the left tackle, but there’s a logistical issue getting in the way. Whitworth had one year left in his contract with the Rams and remains on the team’s reserve retirement list, meaning he would need the Rams’ permission to make contact with another team. He would still have to either trade or be sacked to sign with another team.

After retiring, Whitworth was hired by Amazon to join the streaming service’s new broadcast team, “Thursday Night Football.”

Last year, Smith was the second-best offensive tackle in the NFL, according to the PFF, while Whitworth was fourth-best in his 40-year campaign.

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Whitworth specifically called Pro Football Talk twice and said the outlet misread the story “and took no responsibility”.

Responding to Pro Football Talk, Whitworth said he gave the impression Dallas called and that he must own his words if he begins his broadcasting career.

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After the Rams defeated the Bengals in Super Bowl 56, Whitworth told his children that he had played his last football game. It wasn’t long before his decision to resign became public. Whitworth finished his career with four Pro Bowls, two All-Pro honors and a Super Bowl ring. During his 16-year NFL career, he reached 14 games in all but three seasons.

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