As if the Arizona Cardinals needed things to get harder in the NFC West, they just did. Three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald is coming out of retirement to play for the Los Angeles Rams.
He retired after the 2023 season and he is now 35 years old, but he joins a Rams defense that is stacked.
He signed a one-year contract worth $20 million and can be worth as much as $30 million.
The Rams traded for cornerback Trent McDuffie and defensive end Myles Garrett, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. They already have Byron Young on the other defensive edge who had 12 sacks last season, and they have Kobie Turner, who has 24 sacks as a defensive tackle in three seasons.
In Donald's last season in 2023, he was still a first-team All-Pro
and Pro Bowler. He had eight sacks, 16 tackles for loss and 23 quarterback hits.
He is arguably the best defensive player of this generation.
The Rams were already the favorites to win the NFC West and the Super Bowl. Now they look even better.
The Cardinals play the Rams in Weeks 6 and 10.
Donald's return means that his eventual induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is pushed back until at least 2032. He would have been eligible for the 2029 class.
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Aaron Donald returning to LA Rams in 2026 to terrorize NFC West
