The idea of Aaron Donald returning for another shot at a Super Bowl has Rams’ fans daydreaming about another parade next February and trying to figure out if they’d be better off camping out on Jefferson Boulevard or Figueroa Street for the best views. And just like daydreaming after buying a lottery ticket, you realize that while it’s entirely possible your number comes up, it’s probably not going to happen. Why won’t Donald return? Several reasons come to mind.
The Cost
The Rams currently have approximately
$19 million in unused cap space. However, they still have required expenses for signing their rookie draft class, reserving operational funds for in-season practice squad elevations, and potential incentives for quarterback Matthew Stafford. They also have to keep in mind that they may need to spend some money on a left tackle.
At the very least, Donald would be looking for a top 10 defensive end contract to come back for the year, or $20 million. Sure, the Rams could move some money around by restructuring, but they’d simply be deferring the money owed. Just like loading up your credit card, payment is due at some point, and most advisors will tell you, this isn’t a wise thing to do on a luxury purchase.
With the number of extensions upcoming, it really wouldn’t be smart to push payroll down the road unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Aaron Donald’s Desire
One month ago, Donald stated on Cam Heyward’s podcast that he had “no urge to play football.” The desire to play must be overwhelming for a player to put themselves through the rigors of a football season. In the interview, Heyward asks him how he feels, and Donald says he has no more aches and pains when he wakes up and can finally walk normally, and they both laugh about it. They share that experience. Playing football hurts.
In 2024, right after announcing his retirement, Aaron was interviewed by his wife Erica, where he said he’s leaving at peace and on his own terms. He feels like he could still play at a high level, but reiterated that his passion for the game isn’t there anymore.
“I’m complete. I’m full,” Donald said during the interview with his wife Erica, which was captured by the Rams inside his childhood home in Pittsburgh last week and went more than an hour. “I think the passion to play the game is no longer there for me. I will always love football, but to think about going through another camp and another 17-(game) season, I just don’t got the urge to want to push myself through that no more. I’m just, I’m burnt out. The best way to say it is I’m full, I’m complete. I’m satisfied with what I was able to do in 10 years. I think it’s time for me at 32 years old to retire from football and jump into the next step of my career, my life. Now it’s time to move on.”
Donald said the decision was one where “you just know,” with no second-guessing.
His Health
A couple of days ago, I asked people, “What’s your favorite football movie”? I got a lot of responses, thank you for that, but one very highly rated movie was not mentioned.
By all accounts, Erica Donald is a very smart woman. She will certainly have heard of CTE, chronic traumatic encephalopathy. This degenerative brain disease is linked to repetitive head trauma and can cause conditions like dementia, depression, and severe mood changes. It can only be diagnosed in autopsies.
A landmark study from the Boston University CTE Center found evidence of CTE in 345 of 376 (nearly 92%) examined brains of former NFL players. Research shows that every additional year of playing football increases the odds of a CTE diagnosis by 15%. Every additional 1,000 hits to the head increases the odds by 21%, according to a study published by the NIH.
A 2024 study by Harvard Medical School found that 1 in 3 former NFL players perceive themselves to be living with CTE, frequently reporting issues like depression and cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment. A fancy way of saying a person has lost touch with reality, sometimes causing extreme behavior—something a smart football wife and mother dreads.
The list of former football players affected by CTE is disturbingly long. In the most extreme cases, death is the result.
Will Aaron Donald sign up for one more shot at glory? No one really knows, but him, but the smart money is on him passing up the opportunity.
