The Los Angeles Rams' blockbuster Myles Garrett trade with the Cleveland Browns and the Super Bowl being held at SoFi Stadium this year could bring an NFL great out of retirement
22:15 ET, 02 Jun 2026
Myles Garrett has been traded to the Los Angeles Rams
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Myles Garrett has been traded to the Los Angeles Rams(Image: Getty)
The Los Angeles Rams' blockbuster acquisition of Myles Garrett has done something nobody anticipated. It has Aaron Donald genuinely considering whether he wants to play football again.
Donald, 35, retired after the 2023 season following a decade of dominance that produced three Defensive Player of the Year awards, 111 career sacks from the interior, and a Super Bowl ring.
He has been out of the game for two years. And yet, within 24 hours of the Rams trading for Garrett, Donald was texting multiple NFL insiders about a potential comeback. Meanwhile, Garrett is expected to immediately lose $3 million after his bombshell trade.
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When reporter Jordan Schultz reached out directly to gauge Donald's interest, the response was striking.
"I'm for sure flirting with the idea," Donald said via text. "Helluva an opportunity with the Super Bowl in SoFi this year. If I can find the fire, it's a possibility."
Separately, ESPN's Pat McAfee shared messages he received from Donald on his show Tuesday. "It for sure got me thinking," Donald wrote. "35, removed two years ago, gotta see if that fire can light back up."
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Rams head coach Sean McVay was asked Tuesday whether the organization had interest in bringing Donald back. He did not hesitate.
"Interested, there is no question," McVay said, before adding that reporters should hear what Donald had to say himself. "Aaron's a guy I stay really close in touch with. I know the respect that he has for Myles, talked to him about the ability to be able to bring him onboard.”
He added: “If Aaron decides he wants to dust them off at the age of 35, I bet you he could still do it at a pretty high clip."
Aaron Donald officially retired from the NFL on March 15, 2024
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Aaron Donald officially retired from the NFL on March 15, 2024(Image: Getty)
The trade that sparked all of this was seismic in its own right. Los Angeles sent Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-round selection to Cleveland in exchange for Garrett, who set an NFL single-season record with 23 sacks in 2025 and won his second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year honor.
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The Rams had previously traded for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie this offseason, making clear that Matthew Stafford's 18th season, with the Super Bowl held at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, is being treated as an all-in championship opportunity.
A front featuring Garrett's edge pressure alongside Donald's interior disruption would be among the most terrifying defensive pairings the league has ever seen.
Whether Donald can rediscover the motivation to pursue it after two years away from the game remains to be seen, but he is, by his own admission, thinking about it.