**Tim Miller with AFP from Afp**
August 31st, 2026 9:21 am
Three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald has rejoined the Los Angeles Rams after ending his two-season retirement, the team announced in a statement on Sunday.
The call comes in a massive boost for Australian fans, just days before the Rams’ blockbuster clash with the San Francisco 49ers at the MCG on Friday, September 11.
The 35-year-old defensive tackle – an eight-time All Pro selection who played a crucial role in the Rams’ 2022 Super Bowl victory – retired from the sport in 2024 after 10 seasons.
However, Donald has now been tempted out of retirement to join a Rams defense which has already been bolstered by the arrival of defensive superstar and former No. 1 pick Myles Garrett earlier in the off-season.
US media reports said Donald had signed a one-year contract worth $20 million.
The duo’s looming partnership, having won a combined five NFL DPOY awards, has instantly boosted the Rams’ Super Bowl hopes, with Garrett set to challenge his own record for most sacks in a season.
It comes after vision emerged of the 30-year old’s extraordinary seated box jump – a nearly unbelievable show of power from a man weighing over 120 kilograms.
The Rams took to social media to announce Donald’s return, cheekily posting an email to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell from 35-year old simply saying “I’m back”.
The two words are a callback to NBA legend Michael Jordan’s un-retirement in 1995, when he confirmed his return via a press release from agent David Falk featuring the exact same phrase.
“I’ve been working the last 12-13 weeks to train my body and get it to a point where I felt like I could play the game at a high level and be durable,” US media quoted Donald as saying.
“I am now ready to come back to try and do something special with this group of guys.”
Donald hung up the boots in January 2024, after a ten-year career with the Rams netted eight first team All-Pro selections, 111 sacks and being named to the Pro Bowl in every season.
According to reports, head coach Sean McVay first contacted Donald to ask his opinion on the Rams recruiting star pass rusher Garrett, who arrived from Cleveland in June.
Donald then proved receptive when McVay quizzed him on a potential return.
Donald’s return comes with the Rams targeting a repeat of their 2022 Super Bowl win which came at their home SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
The 2026-2027 Super Bowl will also take place at SoFi Stadium. Donald is one of only three players to win the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award on three occasions, along with Lawrence Taylor and J.J. Watt.
He was selected to the Pro Bowl in all ten years he played in the league, a record matched only by former Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders.