Los Angeles Rams running back Sony Michel is just one victory away from winning the second Super Bowl of his four-year career, and the former Patriot was on the receiving end of some high praise ahead of Sunday's contest against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Michel, who was traded by the New England Patriots before the start of the 2021 regular season, earned a glowing review from 16-year professional Andrew Whitworth. The Rams offensive tackle clearly has been impressed with how Michel developed on and off the field, helping provide a valuable voice in the Cam Akers-less running back room.
"Early on in the year, not as much involvement, then all of a sudden when you get him in more and more involved as the year went on, you start realizing just what a special guy he is and special competitor he is," Whitworth said during Super Bowl LVI Opening Night on Monday. "I mean, guy's a football player. He figures it out in the plays, everything doesn't have to be clean all the time. He's just such a physical runner and really his overall demeanor and attitude has just been tremendous."
The Patriots opted to trade Michel, who is playing in the final year of his rookie contract, given their depth at the position with Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson, to name a few. New England received a pair of draft picks -- a fourth- and sixth-round selection -- in the late-August trade.
Michel was a first-round pick by the Patriots (No. 30 overall) in the 2018 NFL Draft. He played three seasons for the Patriots while recording just shy of 2,300 rushing yards and scoring 14 touchdowns in 38 regular-season games.
Michel was a key in New England's run to Super Bowl LIII as he scored six touchdowns in those three playoff games. The Patriots, of course, beat the Rams for the organization's seventh championship with Michel's fourth-quarter touchdown helping seal it.
Whitworth spoke highly of Michel for his demeanor in crucial moments, which perhaps dates back to those intense playoff games in New England.
"He's one of those guys that in the huddle, in the moments, he's a guy that can settle people down," Whitworth said. "He can remind you, you know, what's important and kind of calm the huddle down a little bit when some of those moments, when energy or anxiety or any of that gets up. The demeanor and really even-keeledness he plays the game with is really an asset from a teammate standpoint. Just to see a guy who, doesn't matter if he's in pass protection, he's running the football, whatever's happening in the game, he's really able to stay even-keeled and just do his job and play with physicality and bring an energy to your team through really the way he is going to execute and do his job."
Patriots fans had a love/hate relationship with Michel given that fact there were moments where he underperformed for a first-round talent. But teammates like James White and others were sad to see Michel go following the trade.
Michel and the Rams, who are a four-point favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, now have one last opportunity to prove it was a trade worthy of doing.
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