The Los Angeles Rams defeating the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI cemented the legacies of several players on the roster, including star defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who had accomplished virtually everything with the exception of winning a championship.
Now that the future Hall of Famer has added the elusive title to his resume, there was speculation he would consider retiring at the age of 30. Those rumors have since been downplayed by Rams general manager Les Snead, who recently revealed the team is working on a contract extension with Donald.
The eight-time Pro Bowler still has three years remaining on his current contract but will only make around $14 million next year, which is well below his market value.
According to Jordan Schultz of Boardroom, the Rams are making progress on a contract extension that would make Donald the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL:
#Rams and superstar DT Aaron Donald have made “good progress” on a new multi-year contract extension, per source. Despite the retirement concerns, the 30-year-old Donald wants to reclaim his spot as the highest paid defensive player in the league.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 9, 2022
In an interview with Greg Bishop of Sports Illustrated though, Donald said he will only return to the Rams if they are able to re-sign key free agents Odell Beckham Jr. and Von Miller:
If he does return, Donald wants what he asked Kroenke for at the parade. The Rams must re-sign critical players like Miller and Odell Beckham Jr. They must be positioned to make another run. More than anything, Donald says, McVay must be his coach. That seems likely, and in a private moment after the parade, he told McVay, “I was here before you and couldn’t get the job done. We need you. You can’t leave.”
Although retirement was a serious possibility, Donald said at the Rams’ Super Bowl parade that he would be willing to run it back if the team works out new contracts with Beckham and Miller.
Even after tearing his ACL in Super Bowl LVI, the Rams reportedly have every intention to re-sign Beckham this offseason, with the hope that he will be ready to go in the second half of the 2022 NFL season.
Miller has also expressed a desire to return to the Rams next season, but he will have plenty of other options in free agency, including his old Denver Broncos team and the L.A. Chargers.
In addition to Donald, the Rams are expected to explore a contract extension for Matthew Stafford this offseason, which reportedly could go as high as $45 million annually.
