Of course, ever since the 42-year-old said he was done playing following his Super Bowl LVI win in 2022 ... there's been rumors he could return.

After all, at the time that he hung up his spikes, he was still widely considered one of the best left tackles in the game ... and in the two years since he's stopped playing, a championship contender has been in need of his talents.

But, Whitworth made it clear to us this week ... he'll never strap on a helmet and shoulder pads for an NFL team again.

"I get in the weight room every now and then and I kind of convince myself maybe I could do it," he said. "But I tell you what, there's no chance."

Whitworth -- who's become a star analyst for Prime Video's "Thursday Night Football" in retirement -- explained he's simply enjoying watching ball from the sidelines too much to get back into it.

"I feel too good walking around, hanging out, eating food, having drinks and watching people play football," the 16-year NFL vet said. "It's a much more fun way to do it. So, I'm going to stick with that. That's for sure."

As for this weekend's big game ... Whitworth, unsurprisingly, told us he thinks it could come down to the trenches. For the Chiefs, he said it's paramount they stop Nick Bosa and Javon Hargrave. For the Niners, he said they need to build a strategy around slowing down Chris Jones.

Whitworth also said it'll be key for Brock Purdy to control his jitters -- though he's confident the SF quarterback will get it done.