The idea of Aaron Donald coming out of retirement to join Myles Garrett on the Los Angeles Rams is starting to pick up steam. Will the future Hall of Famer be back with the Rams before next month’s training camp begins? That’s sounding more and more likely, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Appearing on NFL Live on Tuesday, Schefter reported that there is “a lot of momentum to the idea” of Donald coming out of retirement in 2026.
“Donald himself as floated that he could potentially return to Los Angeles.
He’s thinking about it … Again, no decision from Aaron Donald and we’ll see if the two sides can get it done, but there seems to be a lot of momentum to the idea that he could return.”
Donald has not played since the Rams’ playoff loss to the Lions on January 14, 2024.
He had eight sacks that season and was still able to play in over 80% of L.A.’s defensive snaps, a sign that not even at the end of his career were the Rams thinking of slowing him down. A player who stays in shape like Donald would not have to worry about that as much as other players.
At 35, Donald is four years younger than Calais Campbell, a defensive end preparing for his 19th career season with the Baltimore Ravens.
Ever since the Rams acquired Myles Garrett, the idea of Donald’s return has shifted from a far-off dream to a tangible reality. The next step is Donald going to Les Snead, at which point the Rams would have to decide what they can pay him and Donald would need to decide how much he needs to play again. But if Donald takes that step, there’s probably no turning back.
