After the Los Angeles Rams acquired the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year in Myles Garrett, head coach Sean McVay was asked about the potential of a familiar three-time winner of the award returning to the franchise.
That man is Aaron Donald, who officially retired on March 15, 2024, after 10 seasons with the Rams.
“Listen, if he’s interested,” McVay said Tuesday during Garrett’s introductory news conference. “Here’s what I’ll say: You talk to Aaron and you see what he’s saying about that.”
McVay didn’t stop there, admitting that he has spoken to Donald, the subject of swirling rumors that he could be ramping up training to play this season.
“Here’s what I would tell you guys overall, too: Aaron is a guy that I stay really close in touch with, and I know the respect that he has for Myles,” McVay said. “Talked to him about the opportunity to bring him on board. If Aaron decides he wants to dust ’em off at the age of 35, I bet you he can still do it at a pretty high clip.”
Donald was an eight-time All-Pro and 10-time Pro Bowl selection with the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams. The defensive tackle won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2017, 2018 and 2020 and helped the Rams defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.
Donald texted Pat McAfee when the latter reached out to him about the idea of ending his retirement and rejoining the Rams in the wake of the Garrett deal.
“It for sure got me thinking,” Donald told McAfee.
McAfee replied: “Holy s—, can I say that?”
To which Donald said, “35, removed two years ago, got to see if that fire can light back up.”
Donald’s wife, Erica, also poured cold water on the idea over social media.
“Y’all are hilarious,” she wrote.
Donald recorded 111 sacks to go along with 543 tackles in 154 career games (150 starts) since being selected by the Rams with the 13th overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Pittsburgh.
As for Garrett, he has played nine seasons and 134 career games and recorded 412 career tackles, 125.5 sacks, 23 forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries with the Cleveland Browns.
Garrett, 30, owns the NFL records for sacks in a season with 23 last season and no player under 30 has recorded more in a career in league history.
He became the first player in NFL history — dating to sacks becoming an official stat in 1982 — to record at least 12 sacks for six consecutive seasons (2020-25) and is the only NFL player to record at least 10 sacks in each of the past eight seasons (2018-25).
–Field Level Media
