Aaron Donald continues to put in work with his former team. He has popped up on the NFL wire once again, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicating another Donald-Rams workout has taken place.
After floating the possibility he could return following the June 1 Myles Garrett trade, Donald met with his former team and went through a workout July 13. The all-time defensive tackle great went through another session August 5, this time appearing on the league’s official tryout ledger. Donald, 35, has now completed a third “audition.”
While just about everyone who ends up on the workout circuit is trying to convince a team to sign him, Donald is not in that position. He is determining if (when?) he will come out of retirement and rejoin the Rams. One of the clear favorites to win Super Bowl LXI, the Rams have a strong case to be the frontrunner without Donald. With him, and even a slightly lesser version of the 10-year veteran after two years away, this would look like one of the NFL’s strongest rosters this century.
As the Rams will bank on Matthew Stafford staying healthy to keep this machine running, there are not many instances in NFL history where two players as talented as Garrett and Donald play together on the same defense. Donald ranked first in pass rush win rate in 2023 before surprisingly deciding to walk away — even with one year and $30MM remaining on his reworked contract. He went 10-for-10 in Pro Bowl nods and landed on seven All-Pro first teams. That resume is among the greatest in league history at any position, and Sean McVay continues to give the 2014 first-round pick time to make a call.
We heard last week a decision was close, but no word has emerged on Donald returning. Considering the workout count and the fact that nearly a month remains until Week 1, the Rams appear poised to learn Donald’s plans before the regular season begins. That would be a boon for the team, which faces the 49ers, Broncos, Eagles and Bills in the first five games.