Word of the Los Angeles Rams potentially bringing Aaron Donald out of retirement for one last glorious season has been lingering since they traded for Myles Garrett on June 1.
Members of the Rams, including Garrett and head coach Sean McVay, have since vouched for Donald’s return, suggesting they’d welcome him in with open arms. Donald himself has had plenty of opportunities to squash rumors too.
He’s even worked out at the Rams’ facility. So, what’s taking Rams general manager Les Snead so long to seal the deal?
Are Rams Stalling in Aaron Donald Contract Talks?
While Donald working out at the team facilities may not be a new development, as he never exactly lost access to the building, Rams officials have given the future Hall of Famer that much respect.
Yet, as noted earlier in the week, the Rams also haven’t offered Donald a new contract either. So, why not?
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio believes the Rams essentially are stalling with Donald as a way of generating more attention.
“I won’t be surprised if Donald does make the trip to Australia with the Rams in Week 1 against the 49ers,” Florio said.
“I think the Rams are milking this thing. I think the Rams already know he’s coming back. I think at this point, everything is indicating that he’ll be back. With the chance that, until it’s official, he can decide not to do it. But the momentum is indicating that he’ll be back.”
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Florio thinks it’s no coincidence that Donald worked out in pads, and if anything, it’s a move the future Hall of Fame defensive tackle foreshadowed.
“So, he (Aaron Donald) shows up, he works out, how’s he feel?” Florio added, “It’s just another step toward what he said right after they traded for Garrett. It sure gets you thinking. ‘I’ll have to see if I can light the fire again.’ Two years ago, he said he was burned out. One of the reasons he was burned out, every time he goes out on the field, he’s got two or three guys trying to block him on every play. Now Garrett is going to attract that attention.”
Florio also highlighted an interesting aspect that ESPN’s Adam Schefter may have previously noted, about a limited snap count for the 35-year-old DT.
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“I think Schefter mentioned 12 to 15 plays,” Florio noted. “He’s not pulling that out of his butt. If he’s saying it, just kind of casually mentioning it like it’s fact, it is fact. They’ve gotten to that point. They’ve had the conversations. They’ve come up with the plan. Here’s what we’ll do. My guess is they’d make limited use of Donald throughout the season and try to get him to the point where he can go full beast mode.”
If the Rams are pitching an idea for Donald to return in a part-time role, that could be a swing factor in getting him to sign on the dotted line.
Yet, privately, the Rams may be hoping that once he gets back to football shape and gets a taste of the competition, Donald won’t want to come off the field.
Either way, with Donald, an already strong Super Bowl contender’s chances to compete will surely improve. Without him, they’re already favorites; with him? Good luck.
