Confirmed: NFL Superstar Returns from Retirement
In the 2021 season, Aaron Donald won the Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams, and now the future NFL Hall of Famer is returning to the field.
Aaron Donald is returning to the Los Angeles Rams, ending his two-and-a-half-year break from the NFL!
The Rams announced the 35-year-old Donald's decision on Sunday, following weeks of talks, preparations, and intensive training sessions.
Donald agreed to a one-year contract, which, according to ESPN, is expected to earn him at least $20 million, structured with performance-based bonuses.
One of the Best Defenders of All Time
In his first ten seasons, spent exclusively with the Rams, Donald established himself as one of the greatest defensive players of his era.
He won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award three times, was selected to the Pro Bowl ten times, earned All-Pro honors eight times, and secured a Super Bowl ring before surprisingly announcing his retirement in March 2024.
Donald's 111 sacks are a franchise record for the Rams and the second-most in NFL history among players who primarily played on the interior of the defensive line.
Rams' Defensive Line Now Features Donald and Garrett
After two years with his family, Donald began contemplating a comeback this summer, especially after the Rams signed Myles Garrett, arguably the best defensive player in the NFL currently.
Together, Donald and Garrett have won five of the last nine Defensive Player of the Year Awards, including two of the last three, which Garrett received with the Cleveland Browns.
Preparation for Return Underway for Weeks
Donald underwent nearly two months of intense physical preparation for his comeback. He trained at the Rams' practice facility and other locations to ready his body for the rigors of another NFL season.
Coach Sean McVay had seemed confident for weeks that Donald would decide to return, but the decision-making process extended throughout the entire preseason.
Rams Superteam Clear Super Bowl Favorite?
Even before Donald's return, the Los Angeles Rams were arguably the hottest favorite to win their second Super Bowl title under McVay.
Along with Garrett and cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, who were acquired from Kansas City, the defense now looks better equipped to keep pace with the Rams' offense, which featured NFL MVP Matthew Stafford last season.
