On Monday, the Los Angeles Rams stunned the NFL when they pulled off a genuinely league-altering trade for Myles Garrett. Undeniably a Super Bowl contender before the move, they now seem to be the front-runners for the title.
Now, the roster could be getting another upgrade in the coming weeks. Aaron Donald, one of the best defenders in NFL history, could potentially make a comeback to play alongside Garrett.
Adam Schefter Weighs In on Rumors of Aaron Donald Rejoining Rams to Play With Myles Garrett
The Rams were a legit Super Bowl contender last season. They had a dominant year from start to finish, as Matthew Stafford was named the NFL MVP and led Los Angeles on a deep postseason run.
However, the Rams lost to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks, in the NFC Championship Game. Ever since, the organization has been hard at work trying to make major improvements to an already stacked roster.
In addition to trading for Garrett, the Rams also acquired Trent McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs and signed Jaylen Watson to improve their secondary. Last season, Los Angeles boasted the fifth-best defense in the league, according to PFSN’s Defense Impact metric.
However, their performance trailed off over the second half of the year and in the postseason in particular, as they gave up 17 or more points in all but one game from Week 10 onwards. Their two new additions should help stabilize that unit and take the team to the next level.
Right after the trade, all eyes were on Donald to see if the former Super Bowl champion and three-time Defensive Player of the Year would return to the Rams. A video of Donald working out made the rounds, acting as perfect fuel to the fire.
Donald admitted that he’s considering an NFL comeback in a text to NFL insider Jordan Schultz: “I’m for sure flirting with the idea. Helluva an opportunity with the Super Bowl in SoFi this year. If I can find the fire, it’s a possibility.”
However, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter recently appeared on “Get Up” and revealed one obstacle in a potential Donald comeback.
“I brought up the idea to the Rams yesterday, and they said right now they’ve spent all their money,” Schefter said. “They’ve allocated it to Trent McDuffie, who became the highest-paid cornerback in football. Myles Garrett is being paid on a four-year, $160 million contract that he’s going to rework to more favorable terms for the Rams, but they’re paying an awful lot of money.”
However, even with the Rams’ cap situation, Schefter isn’t willing to rule out the possibility completely.
“In this league, you can always find money,” he admitted, before adding: “I wouldn’t say there’s a 0% chance of happening. I don’t put a high degree of probability on it happening, but I’m not ready to just write it off and say this is absolutely not going to happen.”
It remains to be seen if the Rams can persuade Donald to play again. One of the most physically imposing specimens the NFL has ever seen, he was a force to be reckoned with and a key component of the Rams’ last Super Bowl-winning roster.
Donald is now 35 years old, but he and Garrett would still form an incredible one-two punch of game-wreckers.
