The Pittsburgh Steelers roster seems pretty much set heading into next week's training camp in Latrobe. After signing Markus Golden a few weeks ago, the team's needs have been taken care of. On Wednesday morning, the front office signed Alex Highsmith to a four-year, $68 million extension. With that, one player remains in trade rumors around the league, and the Steelers have been thrown in there.
That would be defensive lineman Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams. There were rumors of the superstar thinking about retiring last offseason, but this offseason, he didn't even consider it. As a result, he will enter his 10th season. With the Rams expected to be one of the worst teams in football, trade rumors involving his name have started to pop up.
None of them seem to have any validity (yet), but it seems like a possibility in the near-future. Former Steelers linebacker Arthur Moats spoke about the idea of pursuing Donald via his The Arthur Moats Experience With Deke Podcast. From a realistic perspective, he doesn't see a fit for the star in Pittsburgh.
"How does this fit? How does that work? Who's getting got? Are the Rams gonna say, 'Hey, we're gonna do a fire sale and take on all of AD's contract?' Nah, I don't know man," Moats questioned. "You take the bag, we take the player."
ESPN's Mike Clay set the Rams' projected win total at 6.2, the second-lowest in the NFL. As Moats' co-host Deke points out, the Rams may very well do a fire sale in the middle of the season if nothing goes well. This could mean Donald would become available via trade, which seems a bit more realistic than trading him before the season. The star's contract runs through the 2026 season with huge cap hits over the next two years specifically.
In a scenario where the salary cap is turned off, a la EA Sports' Madden 24, Donald to the Steelers could certainly make sense. The team brought back Larry Ogunjobi to a long-term deal this offseason, but the position still has some uncertainty. Bringing Donald into the group, alongside Cam Heyward, would create one of the best front-sevens in team history.
Will Steelers consider Aaron Donald if he becomes available?
Additionally, there's a connection there. Donald played college just down the road at the University of Pittsburgh, where he became one of the best players in NCAA history. The Steelers had interest in him in 2014, as they met with him ahead of the NFL Draft. The Rams ended up taking him 13th overall, just two picks before the Steelers landed Ryan Shazier.
Now, fast forward a decade later, and Donald has built quite the resume. The star lineman has made the Pro Bowl in each of his nine career seasons. He's made the All-Pro First Team seven times, which all happened between 2015-2021, as well as three Defensive Player of the Year awards. Donald is one of just three players in NFL history that has at least three DPOYs.
All of that was topped off by him winning the Super Bowl in the 2021-22 season. Now that he has accomplished essentially every major feat, it seems like he will retire in the next few years. While he had an injury-plagued 2022 campaign, he still has plenty left in the tank.
Unfortunately, the salary cap is on. At the beginning of the offseason, the Steelers had an unusual amount of cap space. With Omar Khan at the helm, they made several signings in free agency and filled plenty of needs. The team doesn't have enough left for a guy like Donald, so the Rams would have to basically take on his contract. While it's highly unlikely, it's still an interesting scenario to discuss, and Khan has shown a willingness to be aggressive.
Where would a front-seven with Donald, Heyward, and TJ Watt rank amongst the best ever? Do you think the trade would be worth it assuming the Rams ate most of the money? Will the Rams ultimately trade the future Hall of Famer?
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