Andrew Whitworth Best Bengals OT since Anthony Munoz?
Andrew Whitworth has been one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL for a number of years, but should he be next to Anthony Munoz in the Hall?
I know Andrew Whitworth is not done just yet, and it might be a little early, but there is something to be said about his outstanding talent. There is no doubt that Andrew Whitworth is one of the best offensive lineman to put on Stripes in the past 25 years, and possibly the closest player to Anthony Munoz in Bengals history since Anthony Munoz.
We know how the Hall of Fame has viewed Bengals players in the past, especially since they haven’t won a Super Bowl, EVER! However, Ken Anderson is the closest any long-term Bengals has been to the Hall of Fame since Munoz was inducted in 1998, the same year Anderson was a finalist for the Hall.
Enter Andrew Whitworth, he doesn’t have the 11 Pro Bowl appearances, but his two Pro Bowls and arguably two times he was unjustifiably left off this list are impressive in a much quicker league. He was named All-Pro by the AP in 2015, and although Willie Anderson was named three times, Whitworth has been under appreciated by the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA), Sporting News, and the Associated Press.
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Whitworth has had zero sacks allowed the past two years and only three QB hits has been a leader and standout on this Bengals team. In 2009, when he switched from guard to tackle, he only allowed five sacks on Carson Palmer of the 26 sacks allowed. It was a major step forward for his career. In 2011, he finished fourth in the NFL in sacks allowed with three. He is arguably one of the best tackles in the NFL today, even at 34 years of age.
He helped the Bengals become Rotowire’s top NFL Offensive Line in 2015. He is the only Bengals captain last season to wear the 5+ year captains patch. He is a leader of the offensive line and the offense. He is in his final years as an NFL player and certainly deserves the Bengals recognition for helping them to their fifth straight playoff appearance.
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The question however remains, is he good enough for the Hall of Fame? Will any Bengal ever be good enough for the Hall again without a Super Bowl ring?