Aaron Donald ends retirement to return to Rams
NFL star Aaron Donald is coming out of retirement more than a year after quitting, signing a one-year deal to rejoin the Los Angeles Rams, the only team he has ever played for. The 35-year-old helped the Rams win the Super Bowl in 2022.
Aaron Donald, regarded as one of the finest defensive players in NFL history, is returning to professional football after announcing his immediate retirement in March 2024. The 35-year-old is rejoining the only club he has ever played for, the Los Angeles Rams, on a reported one-year contract worth $20m.
Donald confirmed the news on social media, sharing a highlight reel of his career with the caption "We back."
A decorated career
The Rams selected Donald with the 13th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, and he went on to spend a full decade with the franchise before his initial retirement. He played a key role in the Rams' Super Bowl victory in 2022, recording two sacks in that game alone.
Across his career, Donald has amassed 117 sacks, placing him among the league's most productive defensive players, and he became the fastest defensive tackle in NFL history to reach 100 career sacks. He has also been named an All-Pro eight times and is one of only three players to win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award three times.
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