Most of the excitement surrounding Aaron Donald‘s return to the Rams is focused on what he will bring to the team’s pass rush.
Chris Shula’s defense already boasted top-five pressure and sack rates in 2025 with a young core four of Jared Verse, ByronYoung, BradenFiske, and Kobie Turner. Then, Los Angeles swapped Verse for Myles Garrett, one of the best pass rushers in the history of the game, and added another in Donald. The 1984 Bears’ single-season record of 72 team sacks appears to be in danger.
But what about Donald’s contract? When he retired in 2023, he had one year and $30MM remaining on his deal. At the time, he was the highest-paid defensive tackle in the league; now, that would still rank fifth in the league.
Given their cap situation, Donald’s age, and his time away from the field, the Rams were unwilling to pick up exactly where they left off with the 35-year-old. He still agreed to a strong payday over the weekend, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, signing aa one-year deal with a minimum value of $20MM with incentives that can bring him back up to his original earning potential.
Donald’s base salary will be $10MM, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, and he will earn an additional $667k in per-game 53-man roster bonuses for up to 15 games and a total of $10MM. Notably, he does not have to be active on game day to receive his per-game roster bonus; he merely needs to remain on the 53-man roster.
Donald’s incentive structure is based on the Rams’ playoff advancement with some playing time strings attached, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. He will earn $2.5MM if Los Angeles makes the playoff and he plays at least 15% of the team’s regular-season defensive snaps. If the Rams make the wild-card round (or receive a first-round bye) and the divisional round, Donald will receive another $1.25MM for each.
The payouts go up to $2.5MM for the conference championship game and Super Bowl, though there are additional requirements. To start, Donald must have played at least 15% of the team’s snaps during the regular season and 20% in those playoff games. The Rams must also win the game.
So, if Donald sees the maximum value of his new deal, he will also be getting his finger measured for a second Super Bowl ring. At that point, Los Angeles will be more than happy to have paid out the full $30MM.
Presumably, Donald will ride (back) off into the sunset after the 2025 season, but a strong season and a desire to stay in the NFL could create another, even more interesting contract situation next spring.