The Los Angeles Rams are hoping to be near full strength for their Divisional Round matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. One key player's outlook still hangs in the balance, however. Rams head coach Sean McVay provided an update on Andrew Whitworth on Wednesday after the veteran offensive lineman suffered a knee injury on the Rams' first offensive snap in the Wild Card round. Via Stu Jackson, McVay told reporters that Whitworth was not ruled out for Sunday's game.
While the possibility for Whitworth to take the field remains, McVay's update didn't sound very optimistic. The Rams head coach, who is five years younger than Whitworth, indicated that the left tackle had “some swelling in that knee and that ankle” before going on to call it a “miracle” that the 40-year-old didn't sustain a more serious injury.
After initial testing and scans, McVay indicated the results were positive enough to keep Whitworth's outlook open but refused to commit either way regarding the availability of the star offensive lineman.
Obviously, having Whitworth's veteran leadership and experience would be a big boost for the Rams, particularly for Matthew Stafford. After all, there are not many guards, let alone players in the NFL, who have started 235 games in their career.
If the four-time Pro Bowler can't suit up on Sunday, Joe Noteboom is expected to serve at left tackle. He replaced Whitworth when he went down on Sunday, and while the 40-year-old did return for a handful of drives, Noteboom played most of the game in his stead.