Andrew Whitworth on Why He’s WORRIED About Joe Burrow’s RETURN for Bengals vs Ravens!

Andrew Whitworth on Why He’s WORRIED About Joe Burrow’s RETURN for Bengals vs Ravens!

Couple more for you here. I got to ask you about Burrow. Hoping to play on Thanksgiving. I don’t know about what I was nervous. I was nervous. K is going to go this weekend. I just I was like, man, can we just let’s just wait like just a little bit. Just I know it’s Joe, but just wait a minute. Well, who’s making the Yeah. What are your thoughts when you hear like I don’t know how to I want you know I know what he wants, but I don’t know. after a lot. What’s I don’t know what the right I mean I think the right decision is to not play. Hey P him. Yeah, I’m in between. I mean obviously you got your quarterback, you’re paying that much money and there’s an expectation him being your leader of the franchise and and I know he feels that obligation to go out there and compete with his guys. Like never leave your boys out there if you can be out there. Um that’s always a thing in the NFL as a player. Uh that means the most to you that you never leave your guys behind. If you feel like you’re capable, you’re on the football field. Um, but you know, I went and you know, I visited him a little bit this season and got a chance to go by and see him and we had their game and hang out with him in the house and just all he’s doing is literally eat, sleep, breathing, just getting back on that football field. That’s all he cares about. And and the only thing that means anything to him is getting back out there with his guys. And so I I knew when I heard that he went full practice or whatever or limited practice this last week, I was like, “Oh no, this guy is pushing them to let him on the field. The second he feels like he can do it, he wants to go.” And I just I’m glad that they took a week. Now, whatever they decide to do this week, I think with it being a short week, does that really, you know, uh I mean, a short week with in the sense of like him going out and he’s got to now, all right, you’re going to go from Joe Flacco to him in one week. Um I kind of hope they wait like another week or two. Like let’s just because my thing is like you can feel good, right? Like as a player and I’ve done this. I’ve had knee injuries. I’ve had ankle injuries. You go out and you feel good in practice and you’re like, “Hey, I can get through the practice. I feel great.” But the violence of an NFL Sunday and doing it 60 70 times, it’s just hard to ever replicate. And I think what you would hate is you get out there and midway through the game, it’s like, man, this is a little much on me or this is a little bit too much pain or I’m feeling it and you got to take him out. So, I just think that you’re you’re better off saying, hey, what’s the absolute longest we can push him and he’s going to be mad at us. I mean, I’ve had some runins. I shared this last week. Like I’ll never forget calling I called our team doctor one time in Cincy and made him drive to the Pacific and threatened to I was like listen I’ll fight you if you don’t clear me for this game. All right. Like I’m playing. Were you three and eight? No. But my point is is that like you get like that as a player. Like you can only see one thing. I’m playing in this game. You know what I mean? And so I I’m worried about that part. But hopefully they can hold him off long enough um to feel really comfortable about where he’s at and get enough reps like live practices, everything else of him out there on it on his foot playing, throwing, pushing off um to feel really good about him moving forward. But what does that mean? Hold him out there. How much could why should it be up to him? Well, hold him off. Listen, it’s always employee like you can be a frustrated employee calling your He’s just saying get me in there, but it’s you know how much of a negotiation should it be? Well, listen, I here’s the thing. I’m I’m of the old school mindset. And listen, any football player that wants to be on the football field that next week can be on the football field if they want to be. That’s just the truth. I like that. So, you you you get you forget sometimes we make this more complex than it is. Like, you know, you are the one giving the feedback of how you feel. So like we can read into like how people feel like I don’t care what it is, right? What injury you’re the one giving the feedback. So if you really want to be on the football field, you could be on the football field. So sounds like he’s playing. Yeah. So it sounds like he is, but I think that they’re going to probably And my point to it, K, is I think it’s less about fighting him off. It’s more about all right. Hey Joe, here’s the established grounds we have for not necessarily how you feel, but here’s the process for how we get you back on the field and what’s that look like? It’s a three window. It’s a two-eek window. It’s we want to see you, you know, do this much practice before we’re clearing you. And it has nothing to do with how anybody’s feeling. We think that this is the progression for what gets you back to playing your style of football. Well, your style of football is something that I’ve really listened very diligently to you talk about specifically as you’re close to that organization, just your your mind, how you how it works. And you sort of talked about his play style and the injuries, right? what how that how those two things play off of each other. Let’s say when whenever he does get back there, whether it’s Thanksgiving night on NBC, um up against a division rival, is there a way that you’d like to see the this something change with the way to keep him upright? Well, I think you look at it, I’d say this, and I don’t mean this from like an age standpoint, but like look at some of your true pocket passers that still play in the game right now. Um, you know, like I I always say like I would love to see Joe lean more into like what Matthew Stafford is. Yeah. In the sense of when plays are broken down or plays aren’t there. I mean, you look at him last night like just get rid of the ball. Like let’s get the ball out. Let’s move to the next down. And and and I’m not saying that you’re giving up on plays, but you’re trusting like I have the capability mentally uh how sharp of a passer, how accurate I am, what I can do with the football in my hands and read defenses and understand coverages and know what I need to do to get the football to my guys. like I can trust that I can give this down up and on the next down I’ll prove to you that I can make up for it. And and sometimes I think guys feel like they can make up for it in the down. And you got to start to realize like hey maybe it’s the next down that I get us to without us losing yardage without me getting injured without something bad happening and on the next down I’ll make up for it. Um, I just think of like I remember even Payton I mean you I could remember Pton Manning like hitting the deck like guys would come scott free and he could have just hit the deck like him and Eli like you know they were great at that right Tom sometimes like just hit the deck take the sack and say hey you know what next play like I’m going to convert on this third down and long and then we’re going to keep it moving we’re going to go score and I just that’s my point is I think sometimes with these things it’s like hey Joe you being healthy is number one and I’d love for you to learn like sometimes some of these plays we don’t have to extend them further than what they are especially when there three steps or ball where the ball’s supposed to get out. If it’s not there, let’s move to the next down and then let’s go execute the next one. Last one for you. What do I need to know about this Lane Keifin Tigers thing? Right. Your LSU Tigers big decision. I’m seeing reports. I’m seeing like confirmations and all LSU big offer seven-year 90 million. Are we are we back in that hire? Man, I tell you what, I should have got into college coaching apparently. Um there’s some time, buddy. Yeah. No, no, no. I’m good. Thank you. Uh, I got, you know, four kids, five daughters. I was gonna say your life’s pretty good. It’s pretty good to be Andrew Witworth. Here’s what I heard today. Here’s what I heard. You just dropped by Joe Burrow’s house, like to check in with him. You’re golfing with not only Matthew Stafford, but Devonte Adams also. And then you are taking extended trips and like enjoining the uh enjoying the the second family vibe of your TNF on Prime uh family. Like life’s pretty good for Andrew with a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I love that. That’s right. There’s no doubt there is a lot to be thankful for. But yeah, I’m excited. Let’s see what happens with the Tigers. Uh, you know, that’s a tough one though. K. I I don’t know. I’m in between. I don’t know enough. Tell me. I Well, I just hate the college system. I hate that this is even a thing to hire a coach right now in the middle of a team season and uh an opportunity they have to go compete for a championship. Uh, you know, I know Nick Sabin shared some thoughts on that and I’m right there. I was, you know, Nick’s first recruiting class. I’ve always been somebody he’s always been somebody look up to. Um, and I agree with him, man. And I mean it it’s a very flawed system that this is where we’re at. And um it’s unfortunate because in one one hand I would be so excited for us to get a great quality football coach, whoever that is. If it’s Lane Keifin, that’s awesome. But on the other hand, like I would also be a little disappointed in him that you would like leave a team uh that has lean on you and listen to you and and fought their butts off to put themselves in a position to go win a championship. Um, so I I just think that we’ve unfortunately put college football in in a place that just in my opinion just it’s gotten a little gross and it’s just not fun to watch in that sense. Like I hate that that’s become how we’re doing uh these kids and teaching them because we forget these guys are in really honestly some of the most formidable years of their life. Like they’re learning how to become men and they’re looking at these head coaches. They’re looking at these people in administration and above them that are involved in all this NL stuff, lawyers, agents, you name it. they’re looking to those guys to figure out what it’s like to go be an adult, what it’s like to go be a grown-up, what what what kind of person do I want to be? And some of the things that I think intangibly we’re teaching them uh are just unfortunate because it’s not all about the money. Sometimes uh life is about where you’re at and who you are uh and the obligations and commitments that you’ve made and do you live up to them and and those are the things that going to actually at the end of your life and the end of your time uh you’re going to have the most uh gratification from and get the most out of. I know you don’t want to be a coach, but gosh darn it, you’d be such a freaking good coach because it’s about the football and then it’s about being the man and everything in between. And in your opinion, Sean tries every year. I tell Sean the same thing. I’ll just come. Hello. I’ll come get behind, you know. Well, for now, you’ll just enjoy sitting back with your three-time AllPro tackle resume, Super Bowl champion, ring shining in the background, an analyst for TNF on Prime Eagles. Bears huge, huge implications in the NFC in this one. Uh, and then of course, Fitz and Wit. everybody to go subscribe and download and happy birthday to Fitzy and happy Thanksgiving to you and the whole Prime family. I appreciate it, Kay. Thank you so much. Happy days. Appreciate you. You look great. This whole thing is working. I love everything about it. We’ll be back.

On November 24, 2025 episode of ‘Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams’ on FanDuel TV, Week 12 did not disappoint…overtime games, more upsets, more comebacks…I’ll give you my thoughts on it all and where everything stands after yet another wild Sunday. I will also be joined by Super Bowl Champion and analyst on TNF Prime – Andrew Whitworth – after another dominant Rams win.

FULL EPISODE HERE: https://youtube.com/live/rtQDo90udeU

CHAPTERS
0:00 ANDREW WHITWORTH JOINS THE SHOW
0:26 SHOULD JOE BURROW RETURN TO PLAY OR NOT?
4:18 DO YOU WANT TO SEE CHANGE IN JOE BURROW’S PLAY?
7:06 LSU COACHING SEARCH

#NFL #Bengals #Ravens

Click here to subscribe to never miss an episode of Up & Adams with Kay Adams: https://www.youtube.com/@UpAndAdamsShow?sub_confirmation=1

Full Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx3ucpDzWf1LmJhtMh-WUhFGrusZzdT3m

Player Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx3ucpDzWf1LT3n0tSZfS5ofhFWzUloCH

The official YouTube channel for Up and Adams with host Kay Adams.

Up and Adams is a one-hour sports television show on FanDuel TV and YouTube.

Every day, Kay will give you her authentic, unfiltered opinion on the day’s biggest NFL topics.

Watch “Up and Adams” Monday-Friday at 11am ET LIVE on YouTube & FanDuel TV