Aaron Donald has been one of the biggest talking points of the NFL offseason, with speculation continuing to link the future Hall of Famer to a return to the Los Angeles Rams just two seasons after retiring as one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history.
Rumors of Donald potentially coming out of retirement have intensified since the Rams acquired Myles Garrett on June 1. Now, former Miami Dolphins offensive tackle Terron Armstead believes there is genuine substance behind the speculation.
Terron Armstead Claims Aaron Donald’s Rams Return Is More Than Just Rumors
While it was Garrett’s trade that started the speculation of a potential return to the NFL by Donald, the former Super Bowl champion himself turned it into well-informed buzz when he revealed his interest in returning to the Rams in a conversation with Pat McAfee.
Later, TMZ leaked a video showing Donald working out in full football pads at the Rams’ facility, and there’s been no going back since, with one insider even claiming recently it was close to being a done deal.
Now, Armstead, a former offensive tackle, has claimed the chatter around his potential return is indeed “very real.”
“Aaron Donald has been working out. He always working out, but now he’s been doing football work, in the trenches, hand in the dirt, get-offs. Striking pads to see,” Armstead said. “And he hasn’t made the decision yet. But it is a possibility now. It is a real thing. This is not just speculation no more. This is him going through the final steps of his process with himself and his family to see if he’s going to go back and do this with the Rams.”
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After being selected No. 13 overall by the St. Louis Rams in the 2014 NFL Draft, Donald quickly established himself as one of the league’s most dominant defenders and finished his career with eight first-team All-Pro nods, 10 Pro Bowl selections, and three NFL Defensive Player of the Year Awards.
According to PFN’s DT Impact Metric, Donald ranked as the NFL’s best defensive tackle for seven straight seasons from 2015 to 2021.
It’s no surprise then that he is considered one of the best edge defenders of all time, and a potential pairing of Garrett and Donald would be one of the most devastating defensive duos of all time.
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And like the rest of the NFL, Garrett is also intrigued by the possibility.
“We haven’t talked yet, but definitely expect to talk soon,” Garrett said. “I don’t know what his plans are, and I won’t pretend to know, but a lot of people are excited and thrilled about the idea of him coming back.”
If the Rams ultimately decide Donald is ready to return, the biggest obstacle may be his contract. Armstead said both sides could use Donald’s previous deal as a starting point, but his cap number was $26 million when he retired. Not only is that not possible given he has been out of the league for 2 years, but Los Angeles also has only $20 million in cap space.
However, given how aggressive the Rams have been this offseason, the financial aspect may not be the biggest hurdle. Donald’s health and desire to return are likely to be the deciding factors.
