Aaron Donald isn't done yet.
The eight-time All-Pro and three-time defensive player of the year is returning to the Los Angeles Rams following a two-year retirement. Now 35 years old, he'll test himself against NFC West offensive lines knowing he'll see fewer double teams on a roster whose Super Bowl hopes were bolstered by the acquisition of Myles Garrett in June.
Donald's counting stats dropped as age and injury affected his final two seasons as a pro. Though he only had eight sacks in his 2023 finale -- tied for the lowest amount he had in a season in which he played at least 12 games -- he remained a disruptive presence opponents had to plan around when facing the Rams.
So what can we expect from Donald? Fortunately, he's not the only NFL legend
to return to the game after declaring he was done.
For simplicity's sake, let's rule out the players who retired, then returned to the game in the same offseason. That means Tom Brady's 40-day retirement in 2022 doesn't count, nor does Brett Favre's (gestures broadly). These are some of the most notable players who took at least one year off assuming football was behind them, only to be pulled back in.
Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts (2025)
Rivers hadn't played professional football for nearly five years when a desperate Colts team reached out in hopes of stopping a freefall. The head coach of St. Michael Catholic High School stepped in for a team down its top two quarterbacks and relying on sixth round rookie Riley Leonard to little effect.
Rivers operated a low-impact offense that relied heavily on getting the ball out quickly and avoiding pressure for a 44-year-old passer who was never especially mobile to begin with. Indianapolis went 0-3 with him behind center and turned the reins over to Leonard to finish out the season once eliminated from the playoffs.
Eric Weddle, Los Angeles Rams (2021)
Weddle returned to the Rams at age 36 to bolster a secondary that lost starting safeties Jordan Fuller and Taylor Rapp to injury. He played only 19 snaps in his first game back -- a Wild Card win over the Arizona Cardinals five days after unretiring -- but eventually worked his way to bigger things. He earned starts in both the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl, playing 100 percent of the snaps in each game and ending his career with his first world championship.
Rob Gronkowski, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2020 and 2021)
The future Hall of Famer retired before the 2019 season at age 30, skipping Tom Brady's underwhelming finale with the New England Patriots. One year later, Gronk was reunited with his quarterback, this time in Tampa.
He was solid while shaking the rust off in 2020, culminating a quiet postseason with a pair of touchdown catches in Super Bowl LV. He returned for 12 games in 2021 and put up an 1,100-receiving yard pace before the Buccaneers were eliminated from the playoffs by the eventual champion Los Angeles Rams.
Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys (2019) and Las Vegas Raiders (2020)
Witten's primary contribution in his return from retirement was no longer wearing down viewers as an overmatched color commentator on Monday Night Football. He brought veteran leadership and useful production to an 8-8 Cowboys team at age 36. He signed with the Raiders the following season and was a relative non-factor on the field, making only 13 catches in 16 games.
Marshawn Lynch, Oakland Raiders (2017 and 2018) and Seattle Seahaks (2019)
Lynch retired after an injury-marred 2015 left him to average only 3.8 yards per carry in six games. He returned in 2017, joining his hometown Raiders for two seasons of solid production. He appeared to leave football behind after that, but was convinced to make one more run after the Seahawks' tailback platoon was decimated by injury in 2019. He gained only 67 yards on 30 carries across three games -- Week 17 and two playoff appearances -- but added four touchdowns for a team that bowed out in the Divisional Round.
Randy Moss, San Francisco 49ers (2012)
Moss fell off hard in 2010, spending time with three teams and underwhelming for each (remember Tennessee Titan Randy Moss? No?). He returned to the field after a one-year hiatus at age 35, serving as a useful depth option for Colin Kaepernick and a Niners team that ran all the way to Super Bowl 47. He had seven catches for 112 yards that postseason but, unfortunately, was unable to add a Super Bowl ring to his ridiculous NFL resume.
Ricky Williams, Miami Dolphins (2005-2010) and Baltimore Ravens (2011)
Williams needed a break after leading the NFL in carries in both the 2002 and 2003 seasons (775 regular season handoffs!). He was also a regular marijuana user, which led to multiple failed drug tests in a time where the substance had a much different stigma than it does now. He sat out the 2004 season but returned in 2005 with a solid campaign in more of a platoon role for the Dolphins.
He spent the 2006 season with the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts while he served out a one-year suspension. He returned to the NFL in 2007, but played only one game due to injury. He finally got back to something approaching his old self in 2009, where he ran for more than 1,100 yards at age 32 leading a backfield rotation that also featured Ronnie Brown.
Deion Sanders, Baltimore Ravens (2004 and 2005)
Sanders stepped away from the game at age 33 after a four-interception campaign. He spent three years retired, then joined the Ravens and recorded five interceptions -- including a pick-six -- to cap a Hall of Fame career.
Randall Cunningham, Minnesota Vikings (1997 to 1999), Dallas Cowboys (2000) and Baltimore Ravens (2001)
Cunningham retired as a life-long Philadelphia Eagle, but it didn't last. The College Football Hall of Famer (as a punter!) returned to the field with the Vikings for a 15-win campaign that probably should have resulted in an MVP award (Terrell Davis and his 2,000-yard season won it instead). He failed to reach those heights again and started only 11 games in the following three seasons before retiring for good in 2002.
Reggie White, Carolina Panthers (2000)
White retired on a high note; his 16 sacks made him defensive player of the year in his age-37 season with the Green Bay Packers. After a year off, he joined the Panthers for a useful-but-depressing finale in which he had only 5.5 sacks for a 7-9 team.
Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Dallas Cowboys (1980 to 1989)
Jones left the gridiron in the prime of his career to pursue his passion in boxing. He went 6-0 as a towering heavyweight, but returned to the field in 1980. His best days were still ahead of him; all three of his All-Pro honors came after his return. Per Pro Football Reference, he averaged more than eight sacks per season between 1980 and 1988 -- his age 29 season and later.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: With Aaron Donald back, how have unretired NFL players historically done?
