RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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After over a month of speculation, Aaron Donald , a three-time former Defensive Player of the Year who last played in the NFL in 2023, is indeed unretiring and will return to the Los Angeles Rams , the team announced, on a one-year, $20 million deal with incentives that could be worth up to $30M, per an ESPN report,
Donald, 35, alluded to a possible comeback shortly after the Rams traded for Myles Garrett , the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. He said in June that the trade "for sure got me thinking" and that he wanted to see if "that fire can light back up." He took a key step in that process on Aug. 5 when he worked out with the Rams , and he tried out again for the team 11 days later. He said he knew he was coming back two weeks ago.
"If the wife wasn't happy it wasn't gonna get done,'' Donald said after signing. "My wife was on board and she was with me 100%."
The comeback is now firmly in motion with Donald set to join forces with Garrett in a defensive front that, on paper, is as formidable as any in recent years. Sean McVay wouldn't commit to Donald playing in Week 1.
"Good to be able to get Aaron back into the mix," McVay said. "You guys know how close we are and there's been a lot of dialogue that we've had and excited to be able to just take it a day at a time. I'm not going to talk about any sort of plans. It's going to be a day at a time for us. What does that mean for Australia? The first step was, all right, if you're coming back, let's do that, let's get you on the practice field, let's get you acclimated to your teammates, to your coaches, and then we'll see what that ramp-up period looks like, whether or not he's available or whether or not we think it's best to be able to play him in Australia. I think the best way to do it is to take it one day at a time, but we're obviously excited to be able to have him back."
Between the star linemen, Garrett and Donald have won five Defensive Player of the Year awards and have recorded a combined 236.5 sacks during their Hall of Fame careers. Their partnership evokes memories of the Rams' famous "Fearsome Foursome" defensive line of the 1960s that featured future Hall of Famers Deacon Jones and Merlin Olsen.
The 13th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft , Donald enjoyed a dominant 10-year run with the Rams that saw him record a franchise-record 111 sacks. His first decade with the Rams also included 10 consecutive Pro Bowl nods (he and Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders are the only players to start their careers with 10 straight Pro Bowl selections), nine All-Pro selections and being the league's Defensive Player of the Year recipient in 2017, 2018 and in 2020. Donald, former Texans pass rusher J.J. Watt and former Giants Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor are the only players to win Defensive Player of the Year three times.
Donald is Pro Football Reference's highest-rated defensive tackle of all-time, ahead of Hall of Famers Bob Lilly, Randy White, Alan Page, and Joe Greene, among others.
Donald's success during his first decade in Los Angeles coincided with the Rams' resurgence. In 2017 (after winning just 17 games during his first three seasons with the Rams), Donald helped the Rams win their first division title since 2003. The following season, Donald led the NFL with 20.5 sacks (a career-high) while leading the Rams to their first Super Bowl appearance since the 2001 season. The Rams gave up only 13 points but still came up short against the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII.
Donald and the Rams had a far different experience three years later in Super Bowl LVI. After allowing 17 unanswered points, Donald and the Rams' defense shut out the Bengals ' offense for the game's final 25 minutes. Donald led the charge with two sacks and a pivotal hurry of Joe Burrow on the Bengals' final offensive play that sealed the Rams' 23-20 victory.
After contemplating retirement following the Rams' Super Bowl win, Donald ultimately returned for the 2022 season, which was cut short by injury. Donald returned to his usual All-Pro form in 2023, recording eight sacks while helping the Rams clinch a playoff berth. He retired two months following the Rams' season-ending loss to the Lions in the NFC wild card round.
"For 10 years, I have been fortunate to play the game of football at the highest level," Donald wrote in his retirement post. "I'm thankful for the people I've met along the way, the friendships I've built, and the things I've accomplished with my teammates and individually."
After two years away, Donald is rejoining a Rams team that has legitimate Super Bowl expectations. The Rams, who reached the NFC title game last season, have a star-studded roster that includes Donald, Garrett, former Chiefs All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie , former All-Pro receiver Davante Adams , fellow wideout Puka Nacua , and quarterback Matthew Stafford , the reigning league MVP.
Donald also joins the list of notable NFL players to return after a brief retirement, which includes Tom Brady , Rob Gronkowski , Philip Rivers , Marshawn Lynch , Deion Sanders, and Reggie White.
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