Aaron Donald made his return on Monday night, ending his two-year retirement to rejoin the revamped Los Angeles Rams as they pursue the franchise's third championship. Donald, a Super Bowl champion and future Hall of Famer, retired after the 2023 season, but he got the itch to play again this summer.
It appears his strict post-playing workout regimen, paired with the rest and recovery that came with his time away from the game, was exactly what he needed to remain dominant. Donald shut the New York Giants down with All-Pro efficiency on Monday, picking up where he left off two-plus years ago.
Donald was stopping running backs in their tracks, and according to Pro Football Focus, when Donald was able to rush the passer, he had the best win rate
for an interior defensive lineman this season.
Highest pass rush win rate among defensive interior this season
— PFF (@PFF) September 22, 2026
(min. 15 pass rush snaps)
Aaron Donald 27.8%*
Gervon Dexter Sr 23.9%
Christian Barmore 20.9%
Deone Walker 20.8%
Jeffery Simmons 17.7%
*yep he's really back pic.twitter.com/nkKD0aXxW6
While he failed to secure a sack himself, his work changed the dynamic of the game immediately, with the Rams being in control for most of the contest. After starter Jaxson Dart was injured, backup Jameis Winston was unable to find any groove because he was under constant pressure.
The Giants, at various points, had to double- and triple-team Donald, allowing other defenders to win their matchups.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Aaron Donald already leading all NFL defensive tackles in key metric
