There was a lot of offseason noise after the Rams acquired defending Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett that another legendary defensive lineman, Aaron Donald, could return to join Garrett in the trenches.
That Came as a reality just ahead of the beginning of the season, but Donald did not make the trip to Australia with the team for their season-opening game against the 49ers in the NFL International Series. With the major storyline from that game being that Garrett is now set to undergo surgery and be placed on the injured reserve list, the Rams could use a boost up front on defense. So will Donald be back in Week 2?
Aaron Donald targeting his return for Week 2
The answer to that question appears to be yes. According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Donald is targeting a season debut
this coming week as the Rams face the 1-0 New York Giants on Monday Night Football, describing a "very, very realistic chance" that he plays in that game.
Rams star Aaron Donald is targeting a Week 2 return for his season debut, per @RapSheet.
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) September 15, 2026
There’s a “very, very realistic chance” he plays on Monday Night Football vs. the Giants. pic.twitter.com/PvZfFSa4If
With Garrett set to be sidelined for a significant amount of time, Donald's return has gone from being a convenient addition to an already stacked defensive line to a much-needed replacement in the trenches for what was expected to be the team's star defensive weapon. So the sooner he is back in action, the better it will be for the Rams.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Will Aaron Donald finally make his Rams return in Week 2?
