RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Aaron Donald is officially back in the NFL , and the Los Angeles Rams are getting one of the most dominant defensive players in league history for another run. Donald announced Sunday that he is coming out of retirement after more than two years away, signing a one-year deal with the Rams that is worth $20 million and can reach $30 million with incentives.
But before we get excited about what Donald might do at age 35, it’s worth remembering just how ridiculous his first 10 seasons actually were.
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A decade of dominance
Dec 3, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) enters the field before the game against the Cleveland Browns at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Donald didn’t simply make a few Pro Bowls during his career. He was essentially an automatic selection.
Here is his résumé from 2014 through 2023:
2014: Defensive Rookie of the Year, Pro Bowl
2015: First-Team All-Pro, Pro Bowl
2016: First-Team All-Pro, Pro Bowl
2017: First-Team All-Pro, Pro Bowl, Defensive Player of the Year
2018: First-Team All-Pro, Pro Bowl, Defensive Player of the Year
2019: First-Team All-Pro, Pro Bowl
2020: First-Team All-Pro, Pro Bowl, Defensive Player of the Year
2021: First-Team All-Pro, Pro Bowl, Super Bowl champion
2022: Pro Bowl
2023: First-Team All-Pro, Pro Bowl
That’s 10 Pro Bowls, eight First-Team All-Pro selections, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, a Defensive Rookie of the Year award and a Super Bowl championship.
Donald also finished his original Rams career with 111 sacks, 543 tackles, 176 tackles for loss and 256 quarterback hits in 154 games. He recorded double-digit sacks in six of his 10 seasons and never had a season graded below 90 by Pro Football Focus.
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Now Donald gets another shot
Dec 3, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) enters the field before the game against the Cleveland Browns at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The timing of Donald’s return is fascinating.
The Rams already have Myles Garrett, who won Defensive Player of the Year in 2025 and set the NFL single-season record with 23 sacks. Now they are adding Donald to the same defensive front.
Donald won’t necessarily need to be the player who carries the defense anymore. Garrett should command enormous attention from opposing offensive lines, potentially giving Donald more favorable one-on-one matchups than he had throughout much of his career.
And that’s what makes this comeback so intriguing.
Donald retired after the 2023 season while still playing at an elite level. In that final season, he earned another First-Team All-Pro selection and recorded eight sacks and 23 quarterback hits.
Now he gets one more chance.
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