Rams’ Havenstein retires after 11 seasons

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Right tackle Rob Havenstein is retiring after an 11-year career with the Los Angeles Rams.

The longest-tenured player on the Rams’ roster announced his expected decision on social media Tuesday.

“11 years, 150+ starts, 4 time captain, 4 NFC West Championships, 2 NFC Championships and 1x Super Bowl Champion,” Havenstein wrote on social media. “What a ride it’s been! I can look back on my career and smile knowing I have given everything I had and more to the game I love. In saying that, I am officially retiring from the NFL.”

The 33-year-old Havenstein was a starter throughout his career with the Rams, who drafted him out of Wisconsin in 2015. He was the last remaining member of the current roster who made the move from St. Louis to Los Angeles and stayed with the franchise throughout its first decade back home.

Havenstein started 148 games and won a championship ring during his tenure on the Rams’ line, and he repeatedly served as a team captain in recent years. He also started 13 playoff games, including two Super Bowls as a bookend to left tackle Andrew Whitworth.

Injuries limited Havenstein to 18 games over the past two seasons, and he hasn’t played since last November. Warren McClendon replaced Havenstein in the starting lineup and played fairly well, but Havenstein returned to practice in the days before the NFC championship game last month in hopes of playing if the Rams made it to the Super Bowl.

Havenstein thanked his wife and three daughters in his retirement message.

“As this chapter ends, I couldn’t be more grateful, hopeful, and excited to see what comes next!” he wrote.

Long snapper Jake McQuaide is now the only former St. Louis Rams player still with the franchise, but he is a free agent. The 38-year-old McQuaide also made the move from St. Louis to Los Angeles, but he left the Rams in 2021 and didn’t return until last November.

Tyler Higbee is now the Rams’ longest-tenured player, although the veteran tight end is also a free agent. Los Angeles drafted him in 2016, three months after moving back to the West Coast.

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