Los Angeles Rams superstar Aaron Donald shocked the NFL world on Friday morning when he announced his retirement from the NFL after 10 seasons.
Donald had flirted with the idea of retirement the last couple of offseasons so everyone knew it was coming at some point. But considering he was still playing at such a high level in 2023 and the Rams are building towards getting back into championship contention, the consensus was that Donald had at least one more season left in him.
No one is more deserving of being able to go out on their own terms than Donald though as he is arguably the greatest defensive player of all time and gave his all to the organization for a decade.
Because of that, Friday is a day of celebration and a number of people from the Rams and NFL family like Cooper Kupp, Jalen Ramsey, Bobby Brown, Jordan Fuller, Andrew Whitworth, Torry Holt, Kyler Murray and J.J. Watt paid their respects to Donald:
The respect and admiration that Donald had from his peers was easy to see all throughout his career. While it’s unfortunate that we won’t be able to see him dominate on the Rams’ defensive line anymore, quarterbacks around the league are surely happy they won’t have to see No. 99 on the other side of the field.
If this is indeed the end for Donald then he will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2029, where he surely will be elected on the first ballot.
Rams star Aaron Donald posted retirement video
To announce his retirement, Donald posted an awesome video highlighting some of the best moments of his Rams career. That video can be viewed HERE.
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