The Los Angeles Rams have gone all-in this summer. With Matthew Stafford getting closer to calling it a career, the organization decided to fortify the one weakness on the roster last season. Trading for both Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie, they’ve now turned the defense into a real positive heading into the 2026 season.
But the reinforcements might not be over. Since the Garrett trade, the rumors of a potential return to the NFL for Aaron Donald have been getting louder. Now, a former Super Bowl champion not only believes it is happening, but even has a specific date in mind for the dream come true scenario.
The Aaron Donald Return Isn’t Far
During a recent segment on the “4th and South” podcast, Leonard Fournette put together a potential timeline that might work best if those dreams were to become a reality.
Fournette, a seven-year NFL veteran and former first-round pick, had his career cut short by injuries. However, after leaving the Jacksonville Jaguars, he became a key cog for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers alongside Tom Brady, helping them win Super Bowl 55. Unfortunately, after an uneven 2022 campaign, he was released by the franchise.
Even though he found another stop with the Buffalo Bills, he lasted just two games with them before the organization released him, and he hasn’t been back on the field since. Given his experience with injuries, though, he was able to offer a modest timeline for Donald.
“To be real, bro, the Rams have a great schedule. Also have a hell of a team. I come back Week 10,” Fournette said. “I come back Week 10, Week 11, when everybody’s hurting, and I’m fresh, bro.”
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Moreover, he believed that Donald would have a far different role for the Rams this time around.
Fournette added, “Aaron Donald, brother, you ain’t got to come in and play every down. Come in third, fourth down when they need you. You never know, your sack, your [expletive] might go up even more. Sacks up there. You know why? Because he’s fresh. He doesn’t have to play every down.”
Ultimately, though, Fournette reached the same conclusion that everyone has since the rumors began. “Bro, that [expletive], that’s dangerous, bro. That’s a dangerous combination with him and Myles on, probably playing on, the same side.”
It remains to be seen if it actually becomes a reality. But for the Rams, who were inches away from making it to the Super Bowl last season, and who already have the league MVP at quarterback, Donald could serve as the ultimate insurance policy.
According to PFN’s DT Impact Metric, in his last NFL season, in 2023, Donald posted an impact score of 88.8, ranking fourth in the league. Moreover, from the 2015 season to the 2021 season, he was ranked as the highest-rated defensive tackle in the league.
While it is hard to predict what he would look like on the gridiron more than two years after his retirement, the defensive potential of the team would be through the roof. And, it could be the missing piece of the puzzle that earns them another Vince Lombardi Trophy.
