Adam Schefter has spent much of the offseason predicting Aaron Donald will return to the Los Angeles Rams. But on Wednesday's Pat McAfee Show, he sounded less certain — and more focused on the clock running out.
With the Rams set to open the season in two and a half weeks against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia, Schefter said the timeline for Donald to make a call is closing fast.
"These people know it's go time. Like two and a half weeks, time to start getting ready, which, again, makes me wonder what's going through the mind of one Aaron Donald right now as we get closer to the regular season," Schefter said. "I would think that he's probably getting close to making a decision at some point here. 'Cause either you're gonna do it or you're not
gonna do it. We're at the point now where, like, you're coming back or you're not coming back. Does your body feel like it can handle it, or does your body feel like it can't handle it? What are we doing here? One way or the other, right?"
"We're at the point now like, are you coming back, or you're not coming back?"@AdamSchefter still questions if Aaron Donald is actually going come back to football 👀
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) August 27, 2026
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The comments mark a shift in tone from Schefter's earlier reporting. In June, he called a Donald return "more likely than not,"and by early July he was noting momentum building around the idea after the Rams acquired Myles Garrett from Cleveland. Donald was later seen working out at the team's facility, and has had multiple workouts with the Rams during training camp.
Donald hasn't played since the Rams' 2024 playoff loss to Detroit. He made first-team All-Pro in that final season, logging eight sacks while playing more than 80% of Los Angeles' defensive snaps — hardly the profile of a player in decline. He's now 35 and would be more than two years removed from live game action if he suits up in Week 1.
The appeal is obvious: a chance to pair with Garrett on a loaded front, a Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium — the site of his first ring — and a defensive staff that's said it would welcome him back "with open arms." What's left unresolved is the money and, per Schefter's Wednesday comments, whether Donald himself is ready to answer the question he's been sitting with all offseason.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: NFL insider questions if Aaron Donald will actually unretire after all
