Aaron Donald is pondering a return to the NFL after Myles Garrett was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, and new probabilities on Kalshi suggest the chance he does
10:43 ET, 03 Jun 2026
Former NFL defensive tackle Aaron Donald smiles
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Aaron Donald could come out of retirement and rejoin the Rams after two years away from the NFL(Image: Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
Former Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald is teasing a return to the NFL after his ex-team acquired Myles Garrett in a blockbuster trade.
Donald, widely regarded as one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history, has not played since his retirement at the end of the 2023 season, two years after he cemented his legacy when the Rams won Super Bowl LVI over the Cincinnati Bengals.
But after Garrett, the heir to Donald as the best defensive player in the NFL, was sent to Los Angeles via trade on Monday, the 10-time Pro Bowler is pondering a stunning return to the gridiron.
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There is little to speculate on after Donald confirmed to several people that he is considering coming out of retirement. ESPN personality Pat McAfee reported on his show that Donald texted him, “It for sure got me thinking. 35 (years old), removed two years ago, got to see if that fire can light back up.”
NFL insider Jordan Schultz also heard from the future Hall of Famer, who wrote, "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."
A defense with both Garrett, who set the single-season sack record in 2025 and was named Defensive Player of the Year, and Donald is a frightening sight for any NFL offense.
Their possibility to team up together, especially with this year’s Super Bowl LXI taking place in the Rams’ home of SoFi Stadium, is not one that should be dismissed.
Former Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald celebrates in the Super Bowl
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Donald made the game-clinching play in the Rams' Super Bowl LVI victory over the Bengals(Image: Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Traders on prediction market platform Kalshi have now had their say on whether Donald will unretire and suit up in the 2026 NFL season.
Between June 1 and 2, Kalshi traders gave Donald greater than an 80 percent chance to return, with a 94 percent peak in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
That percentage dropped as low as 36 percent and now sits at 52 percent as of 10 am ET on June 3. It should continue to fluctuate as time passes and as Donald, who clearly isn’t shy about sharing his feelings to the media, potentially drops more hints.
The 35-year-old spent his entire 10-year career with the Rams, including two seasons with the franchise in St. Louis before it relocated to Los Angeles in 2016.
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In his retirement, he has continued to share videos of his intense workout sessions on Instagram, making it clear and obvious he is in the right shape to return if he chooses to do so.
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