Ever since the Los Angeles Rams acquired Myles Garrett, Aaron Donald has contemplated coming out of retirement for one last Super Bowl run with his former team.
It remains to be seen if Donald will regain that fire and decide to return, but the Rams players like Quentin Lake are certainly doing their part to make it happen as he recently sent his former teammate a message, per Nate Atkins of The Athletic:
“Hey, Aaron: If you’re listening to this, we would love to have you,” Lake said. “You’d be a great addition. Enjoy retirement for now, but know that door is always open.”
While Lake would love to see Donald back in horns, he knows a lot of factors will go into the 35-year-old’s decision:
Added Lake: “There’s so many different things. Does he come to training camp? He probably wouldn’t. Does he come before the trade deadline? Who knows? And then it’s jelling back with the team, getting into that same rhythm and routine. I know if he were to play that first game, he’s going to be sore as no other. Then is he like, ‘Oh, I’m sore, I don’t know if I want to do this anymore’? Knowing him, if he comes back, he’s going to be fully committed.”
Naturally though, Lake couldn’t help but think about the impact Donald could have on the Rams defense playing alongside Garrett:
“Are there so many things we could do in terms of pressures and blitzes and all of that stuff? Of course,” Lake said. “That’s unheard of, to have two guys who won Defensive Player of the Year on the same team. It would be one fun year, I’ll say that.”
Lake is right that Donald likely wouldn’t come back unless he is all in. His work ethic is second-to-none though, so he certainly could get into game shape to be ready for the 2026 season if he wants.
Kobie Turner: It would be crazy if Aaron Donald returned
Kobie Turner got to play alongside Donald during his rookie season with the Rams and obviously would also be excited if the legend returned for one more season.
“That’d be crazy,” Turner recently said. “I know he’s been messing around with it. … Having 95 (Garrett) out here does some things. … To have two historic defensive players on that line together and to have the rest of us who are trying to build up our reputation and to build to that greatness they have garnered, I think that’d be cool for L.A.”
