The Los Angeles Rams entered roster cutdown day already viewed as legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Then, Aaron Donald ended the suspense by announcing his decision to unretire and play for his beloved franchise again.
Naturally, now a team that had already been viewed as elite has only gotten better by adding the future Hall of Fame defensive tackle. Some might say Donald’s addition to an already strong Rams core just provides nightmare fuel for offensive coordinators and playcallers.
Shannon Sharpe Hypes Up Aaron Donald’s NFL Return
Donald had been working toward an NFL comeback since June, after Myles Garrett arrived via trade. There was never any doubt about what team the 35-year-old would potentially join. It was going to be either play another season with the Rams or continue to comfortably enjoy the retirement life. Obviously, Donald chose the former.
Now, as Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe said via the “Nightcap Show” podcast, “Everyone’s worst nightmare became a reality today.”
Aaron Donald is back and the Big 3 say the Rams are looking real scary heading into the season 👀
“Everyone’s worst nightmare became a reality today.”@ShannonSharpe | @ochocinco | @TheJoeJohnson7 | #Nightcap pic.twitter.com/Umpux0RL9Z
— Nightcap (@NightcapShow_) August 31, 2026
The Rams were already expected to have an elite defense this season after adding the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year to a unit that ranked 10th in points allowed in 2025. Now, they’ve added an eight-time First-Team All-Pro to pair with Garrett. It makes for a fearsome defensive front.
Not to mention, Donald is a rare specimen.
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There’s only ever been one person who earned a perfect 100 score in PFN’s Impact Grade for defensive tackles. That player is Donald, and amazingly, he’s accomplished the feat three (!!!) times.
Aaron Donald is the ONLY player ever to record a 100.0 grade in our NFL DT Impact metric.
And he did it 3 times 🤯
Now, he joins a loaded Rams defense that also features Myles Garrett… pic.twitter.com/R3929V3RsV
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) August 30, 2026
Tennessee’s Jeffery Simmons led all DTs in PFN’s Impact Score, earning an elite grade of 97.2 last season. He did so while recording 11 sacks.
Meanwhile, Donald’s last season in 2023 saw him record 53 tackles (16 for loss), three pass deflections, and eight sacks, adding to his career total of 111. Now he’ll look to add to those numbers after spending the past two seasons away from the NFL.
Picking up where things left off won’t be an easy task, but if anyone can do it at a high level, it may be Donald.
As Sharpe said, Donald plus Garrett on a Rams team with a Sean McVay-led offense boasting the NFL’s reigning MVP in Matthew Stafford? Yeah, that’s a group that will lead to nightmares, no matter how old you are.
