When the Los Angeles Rams acquired Myles Garrett in a blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Browns, it got Aaron Donald thinking about coming out of retirement after sitting out the last two seasons.
Donald notably said he was “full” when he decided to hang it up after 10 seasons in 2023, but the addition of Garrett had him reconsidering. Donald has been working out on his own in recent weeks to see if he can get back into game shape and regain that fire. It appears he was able to do so, as the former three-time Defensive Player of the Year announced he will officially be returning to the Rams for the 2026 season:
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He’s back: Rams star Aaron Donald is coming out of retirement and returning to the Rams on a one-year, $20M deal that with incentives could be worth up to $30M, per @rapsheet and me.
After two seasons away, Donald now will join forces with Myles Garrett, giving the… pic.twitter.com/LO2SoKHFwG
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 30, 2026
This is obviously massive news for the Rams, who were already the Super Bowl favorites before Donald announced this decision. Now, they will have one of the most fearsome defensive lines of all-time with Garrett, Donald, Byron Young, Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske, Poona Ford and more.
It remains to be seen how Donald will look after taking two seasons off, but it is worth noting that there wasn’t much decline in his game when he was on the field as he was still a First Team All-Pro in his final season. He also has kept himself in exceptional shape since retiring.
While Donald was used to being double and triple teamed throughout the course of his career, joining a defensive line that includes the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in Garrett should help him get more one-on-one looks. That had to have been in Donald’s calculus when making this decision as he will have a chance to feast while competing for another Super Bowl, which again is at SoFi Stadium this season.
Donald could have waited to make this decision, but by announcing his return now, he is showing that he is all-in and wants to begin building chemistry with his new and old teammates before Week 1. Considering he will be playing the full season though, the Rams should and likely will limit his snaps in order to keep the 35-year-old fresh and healthy for the stretch run.
Cooper Kupp didn’t want Aaron Donald to return
A lot of Rams players have been recruiting Donald to come back for another season. On the other hand, opposing players like Cooper Kupp have been trying to dissuade him.
Unfortunately for Kupp and the Seattle Seahawks, they will have to go against Donald at least twice this season as they compete for the NFC West title.
