The Los Angeles Rams already made a major splash by acquiring Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns in a blockbuster trade. Garrett, who recorded 23 sacks in 2025, arrived for his introductory press conference with the Rams. What happened next sent the football world into overdrive.
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Nov 8, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams former player Aaron Donald holds the LAFC falcon before a 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One match between LAFC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BMO Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Alex Gallardo-Imagn Images
Los Angeles sent edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-round selection to Cleveland to land Garrett. The deal instantly made the Rams the favorite to win Super Bowl LXI, with FanDuel listing them at +550. But the conversation shifted completely when a reporter asked head coach Seran McVay about a name the Rams hadn’t suited up since March 2024, three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald.
McVay made his position unmistakably clear when reporters pressed him on whether the organization would welcome Donald back. The coach confirmed he stays in close contact with Donald and had already discussed the Garrett acquisition with him before the trade became public.
“Listen, if he’s interested, there is no… here’s what I’ll say,” McVay said. “You talk to Aaron, and you see what he’s saying about that.” “Aaron’s a guy that I stay really close in touch with, and I know the respect that he has for Myles. Talk to him about the opportunity to be able to bring him on board. 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.”
The speculation did not start with McVay. Former Rams teammate Michael Brockers hinted on Monday that Donald had been getting in shape, just in case a reason to return emerged. Donald also told Pat McAfee that the Garrett trade had him thinking, and he posted workout videos on Instagram with the hashtag “#ready” in the days before the trade was confirmed.
Donald has since texted that he is “for sure flirting with the idea,” citing the Super Bowl being held at SoFi Stadium this year as a factor in his thinking.
Aaron Donald Walked Away From $30 Million
Donald retired in March 2024 at age 32, leaving $30 million in guaranteed money on the table. His stated reason was simple: the passion to play through another full season was no longer there. Two years later, the landscape in Los Angeles has changed dramatically, and his answer appears to have changed with it.
“I’m complete. I’m full. I think the passion to play the game is no longer there for me,” Donald said at retirement. “I will always love football, but to think about going through another camp and another 17-game season – I just don’t…”
The trade that changed his calculus was historic in its own right.Garrett had recorded double-digit sacks in every season of his career except his rookie year, and had brought 125.5 career sacks to Los Angeles.
Donald’s own career statistics make his potential return legitimate rather than sentimental. In his final season in 2023,Donald’s retirement and the numbers he left behind: 111 career sacks, 10 Pro Bowl selections, eight first-team All-Pro nods, and three Defensive Player of the Year awards. He posted eight sacks in 16 games that final season. The tools have not disappeared.
No final decision is expected until Donald meets with McVay and Rams executives later this week. The Super Bowl LXI is scheduled at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, a detail that Donald himself referenced in his text to Schultz. If the fire returns, the NFL could be looking at the most fearsome defensive line it has ever seen.