Legendary defensive tackle Aaron Donald has hinted at a return to the league after his surprising retirement two years ago. Donald established himself as one of the greatest defensive players in league history, earning eight first-team All-Pro honors, receiving 10 Pro Bowl selections, and winning the Defensive Player of the Year Award three times in his career.
Adam Schefter Addresses Aaron Donald Return Speculation
During Monday’s segment of the “NFL Live” show, ESPN reporter Adam Schefter revealed that the former Los Angeles Rams star was thinking of making a comeback to the league with his former team.
“The idea here is Donald himself has floated that he could potentially return to Los Angeles,” Schefter said. “He’s thinking about it. Training camp is getting closer next month. They’d have to come up with a plan for him to bring him back.”
“But where else right now would Aaron Donald be more wanted, more celebrated, more respected than in the Rams locker room, where Myles Garrett is already waiting for him?” Schefter added. “Again, no decision from Aaron Donald and we’ll see whether the two sides can get it done, but there seems to be a lot of momentum to the idea that this is certainly possible.”
The Rams already acquired two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett in a blockbuster trade deal with the Cleveland Browns, and the potential addition of Donald is a tantalizing prospect.
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During an interview with the Rams’ social media team two weeks ago, Garrett discussed Donald’s potential return to the team.
“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.”
“Just being able to talk to him, learn from him, I’ll take all the advice I can,” Garrett added. “He’s a great one for a reason. Just trying to get him in here talking to the guys, especially the defensive line. That can mean a lot if we can take anything from him; it would help our game.”
After being selected No. 13 overall by the St. Louis Rams in the 2014 NFL Draft, Donald quickly became one of the best defensive players in the league, winning the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and earning a Pro Bowl selection.
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According to PFSN’s DT Impact Metric, Donald was ranked the best defensive tackle in four of his last seasons in the league. In the only year he didn’t rank first, he ranked second in 2021 with an impact score of 101.4.
He also stands alongside an elite list that includes Lawrence Taylor and J.J. Watt as the only players to have won three NFL Defensive Player of the Year Awards, and is widely expected to be a future Hall of Famer.
