NFL great Aaron Donald ends retirement to rejoin loaded LA Rams roster
Former Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald is coming out of retirement to return to a team already seen as a top Super Bowl contender this season. The 35-year-old has signed a one-year deal that could be worth up to $30m.
The Los Angeles Rams have announced that Aaron Donald, widely regarded as one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history, is ending a retirement that lasted more than two years to return to the field. The 35-year-old spent his entire 10-season career with the Rams, who selected him with the 13th overall pick in the 2014 draft.
Over that career, Donald was named defensive player of the year three times and earned first-team All-Pro honors on eight occasions. He helped the Rams win the Super Bowl at the end of the 2021 season before announcing his retirement in March 2024, at age 32.
He now rejoins a Rams team already considered among the favorites to win this season's Super Bowl. The roster includes reigning MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford and reigning defensive player of the year Myles Garrett, whom the Rams acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Browns this summer.
According to ESPN, Donald has signed a one-year contract with the Rams worth $20m, which could rise to $30m with bonuses included. Speculation about a possible comeback had been circulating since the Garrett trade. Rams head coach Sean McVay put Donald through a strict evaluation process over the summer to assess whether he could still perform at an NFL level, and said his workout with the team had been outstanding.
Donald, listed at 6ft 1in and 280 lbs, is considered undersized for a defensive tackle, but throughout his career he compensated with exceptional athleticism and work ethic. He finished his previous stint with the franchise as its all-time sack leader, with 111. Should the Rams reach the Super Bowl this season, the game will be played at their home stadium, SoFi Stadium, the same venue where they celebrated their title in February 2022. The Rams open their season on 10 September against NFC West rivals the San Francisco 49ers.
