Aaron Donald recorded each of his workouts over the past 14 weeks as he weighed whether he would come out of retirement and return to the Los Angeles Rams in 2026 and closely assessed all of it. Every rep he took. Every cut. Every hip flip. Every movement.
The conclusion? The 10-time Pro Bowler, eight-time first-team All-Pro and three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year says he feels just as good, maybe even a little better than he has at any point in his storied career.
"Do I feel like I can play at a high level? Yes. Do I feel like I can still be myself? 100%. If I didn't feel like that, I wouldn't be here," Donald told reporters on Sunday. "... I studied myself to a tee."
Donald's return after a four-year hiatus makes the Rams defensive front
a nightmare for opposing offenses to even think about. Myles Garrett, the reigning DPOY fresh off a record-breaking 23 sacks in 2025, lines up on the edge opposite Donald. Braden Fiske, Poona Ford and Kobie Turner control the gaps in the interior. Don't forget about Byron Young, either.
And that's not even including the secondary headlined by Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. According to Donald, the blockbuster acquisitions of McDuffie and Garrett this summer gave him the itch to put the pads back on.
"Seeing what was being done with this team, pieces that was getting brought here," he said. "It's a complete team, and then you see all the moves they make and it's like, 'Okay, I wish I was still out there playing right about now.' You have conversations and then start bringing it to fruition."
Donald has reportedly passed his physical and is eligible to play in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia.
For all the moves general manager Les Snead made this offseason to put the Rams in position to chase another Super Bowl on their home turf, this has to be the biggest. Here's who really comes away as winners, and as losers, with Donald's return now official:
Winner: The Rams front 7
When Donald retired at the end of the 2023 season, Snead set out to replace the future Hall of Famer in the aggregate, to borrow a term from Moneyball. He picked Jared Verse and Braden Fiske with the 19th and 39th overall picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. Verse played well enough to headline a trade package that also included three draft picks to get Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns.
Byron Young, taken in the third round before Donald's last season, was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time last season. Kobie Turner, another third-round pick in that same draft, finished third in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2023 as a nose tackle and has thrived since moving to the edge, finishing third on the team in sacks a year ago.
Adding Donald to that kind of production should have defensive coordinator Chris Shula chomping at the bit to get the season going.
Loser: Opposing quarterbacks
This should be self explanatory.
Winner: Sean McVay
The one person more hyped than Shula might be the head coach himself. It's no secret how close McVay and Donald are. Donald mentioned he was in communication with McVay almost every day throughout the offseason, and those talks are how the wheels got rolling on his return. McVay made it clear that he never gave Donald a firm timeline, saying "he's earned that right" to take his time and make sure he's all-in before committing.
But even before the decision was officially announced, McVay could hardly contain his excitement at the mere possibility of getting one of the greatest defensive players of all time back on the field. Now, it's a reality.
Winner: Matthew Stafford
Not that the NFL's reigning MVP needs more help, but the 38-year-old signal caller will surely welcome the presence of Donald on the other side of the ball. The Rams have more than enough offensive firepower, and now the defense is just as stacked. The two already have won one Super Bowl ring together; a push for one more seems likelier than ever.
Loser: Lofty expectations
This isn't necessarily a "loser" in the traditional sense, but the Rams have made it clear they're once again in Super Bowl-or-bust mode. That worked in 2021, but an NFL season is unpredictable. Injuries happen, fatigue sets in, life gets in the way. Another banner is the standard. The reward is more than worth the risk, but it's never a guarantee.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Winners, losers of Aaron Donald's return: Rams all-in on Super Bowl push
