The Los Angeles Rams had a late addition to the team just before final roster cuts on Sunday, welcoming Aaron Donald back to the mix after two years in retirement. He’s officially on the 53-man roster, giving the Rams yet another dominant force on the D-line.
Because he joined the team so late in the offseason, the Rams were given a special exemption for their star defender. According to Tom Pelissero, commissioner Roger Goodell granted the Rams a two-game roster exemption for Donald. That exemption expires on Friday, Sept. 11, which is one day after the Rams’ season opener against the San Francisco 49ers.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap explained on X that roster exemptions are usually given to players who “come in late like Donald,” allowing
them time to get acclimated and up to speed.
League rules allow this when a player comes in late like Donald. Usually doesnt last longoften just time to get acclimated
— Jason_OTC (@Jason_OTC) August 31, 2026
So what does it mean for the Rams? Essentially, they can keep him on the active roster without taking up a spot for Week 1 against the 49ers, and then they will need to make a move after that game.
Howard Balzer of Cards Wire clarified that this week counts as a game, even though the Rams don’t technically play until next week. And then after their opener against the 49ers, the exemption expires and they will need to make a roster move. It’s essentially a two-week exemption, not necessarily a two-game exemption.
Received the explanation for Aaron Donald two-game roster exemption that expires Sept. 11: This coming week counts as a game. So, Rams will have to make roster move when exemption is lifted or expires.
— Howard Balzer (@HBalzer721) August 31, 2026
They only have 53 players on their 53-man roster, including Donald, so they're not using the free roster spot right now. Sean McVay said Sunday that he's not sure whether Donald will play in the opener in Australia, saying they're just taking it a "day at a time" right now.
He went through individual drills in his first practice on Sunday and the Rams will gradually ramp things up for the future Hall of Famer.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams get 2-game roster exemption for Aaron Donald: What it means
