There might not be a more fun rumor this offseason as summer rolls along than the potential for Aaron Donald to sign with the Los Angeles Rams and return for another Super Bowl run.
He was recently at the team's facility and working out, and the Rams surely would welcome him with open arms. But, there are a bit more complications with this potential reunion and pairing with Myles Garrett.
As Peter Schrager revealed on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, there were two notable updates on Donald's wish for his playing time in 2026 if he signs, and the current state of contract talks.
Aaron Donald contract, playing time report is a big update on Rams reunion
Schrager revealed two very key points during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, noting how "They haven't even discussed money yet," and that "He wants to go the full season if he comes back."
"The Rams and Aaron Donald haven't even discussed money yet..
If he comes back he wants to go the full season"@PSchrags #PMSLive https://t.co/rJ08pSKIcd pic.twitter.com/OCMF9dCnj5
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 14, 2026
If the Rams wind up bringing Donald back to pair with Garrett to make one of the more threatening defensive line duos in NFL history, it's not going to be a gimmick.
Donald isn't returning to the NFL as a limited player. He'd want to slide right back into his previous production, which Shcrarger further elaborated on.
"Aaron Donald is not going to come back as some 30-cent on the dollar version of Aaron Donald. He wants to be ready. ... He wants to be fully where he was when he retired two years ago," Schrager said.
This isn't a huge surprise, but it's still noteworthy, as it does change the narrative about a Donald return. The franchise legend unretiring won't be simply to get a few snaps a game. He's coming back as a full-time player.
Seeing if he's capable of that now, after being retired for a few years, is the current question mark surrounding a Donald return, but even if that's a "yes," there is still another problem.
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Schrager noted how there haven't been any contract talks yet, which isn't really a surprise, but that will be an issue for the Rams to figure out.
It's hard to imagine Donald will want to take a massive discount to return to the NFL after a few years away from the league, especially if he's coming back as a full-time player.
If he were in a limited role, the Rams could justify only paying him a smaller amount. But if Donald is a full-time player and is still as good as he was when he retired, a contract is going to be a bit more complicated.
Of course, that hurdle should be easily cleared if Donald is ready to come back to the NFL. This seems like a legitimate possibility, and the two big hurdles right now are whether Donald can return to his prior level and a new contract.
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