Aaron Donald is two years removed from football and 35 years old, and Sean McVay is treating that combination with the kind of patience you’d expect from a coach who knows what he’s got — and what he might be getting back.
Speaking to reporters Saturday as the Rams reported to training camp at Loyola Marymount University, McVay confirmed that Donald is actively working through a decision on whether to end his retirement and rejoin the team. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year has been in regular contact with the Rams and is putting himself through what McVay called a “very strict, regimented process” — essentially the same training routine he used during his playing days — to see whether his body can handle the grind of an NFL season.
“He is going through his process,” McVay said. “He is putting himself in a position to make a decision, and he’s earned the right to be able to do that. … He’s very diligent. Anything that he does, he does all-in.”
The spark for all of this was the Rams’ acquisition of Myles Garrett in a trade with Cleveland early last month. The prospect of lining up alongside one of the few defensive linemen in the sport who belongs in the same conversation apparently got Donald’s attention. He began an extensive workout program aimed at returning to football shape, and the speculation hasn’t let up since.
McVay, for his part, isn’t pretending to have a timeline. Asked whether Donald’s return might not come until midseason, the coach said the Rams will see how Donald’s body responds to the training before determining next steps. “If he’s feeling good about that, we’ll move forward, and what those dates are I’ll share when we have more information,” McVay said. He added that he has “no doubt” Donald will be “ready to rock” if he commits to a return — but was equally clear about the other possibility.
“I genuinely do not have an answer on whether he is or he isn’t,” McVay said. “If not, he doesn’t owe us anything.”
Donald retired in March 2024 after ten seasons entirely with the Rams, leaving with a franchise-record 111 sacks, eight All-Pro selections, ten Pro Bowls, and a Super Bowl LVI ring secured by his decisive plays in both the NFC Championship and the Super Bowl itself. He’s spent the past two years living mostly in Los Angeles, making regular trips back to his native Pittsburgh, staying close to the organization without ever closing the door completely.
His teammates aren’t shy about the possibility. Defensive lineman Braden Fiske, whose own snap count could shrink if Donald returns, didn’t hesitate when asked about the prospect. “Him being the greatest of all time, I’m sure he’d have a pretty good impact, right?” Fiske said. “It’s only been two years, but if you’ve seen the workout videos, it doesn’t seem like he’s lost too much of where he’s at.”
Left guard Steve Avila, who played alongside Donald as a rookie in 2023, put it more bluntly: “If AD makes the decision to come back, he’s going to want to play the whole year. I don’t think he’d be halfway in, halfway out.”
The Rams are already regarded as Super Bowl contenders. Adding a motivated Aaron Donald to a defensive front that now includes Myles Garrett would be the kind of thing that makes offensive coordinators lose sleep. But Donald hasn’t made the call yet, and McVay isn’t rushing him. The film doesn’t lie about what Donald was. Whether he can be that again is a question only his body can answer.
Sources:
- Yahoo Sports — Sean McVay: Aaron Donald is putting himself in position to make a decision
- Yahoo Sports / AP — McVay says Aaron Donald is still contemplating a return to the Rams
- ESPN — Retired Donald going through ‘regimented process’ for possible Rams return