The Los Angeles Rams made some major additions to their roster this offseason, both through free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft. However, the biggest blow came with the retirement of Aaron Donald. Although, it appears the door isn’t completely shut on a return.
Donald, age 32, had contemplated stepping away from the game for a few years. On March 15, the future Hall of Famer announced his official retirement which left a massive void in the Rams defensive line. The departure is one of the big reasons why Los Angeles invested massive draft capital into edge rusher Jared Verse and defensive lineman Braden Fiske.
- Aaron Donald career stats (ESPN): 260 quarterback hits, 176 tackles for loss, 111 sacks, 24 forced fumbles, 21 pass deflections, 7 fumble recoveries
The Rams know there is no replacing Donald. He’s arguably the best defensive tackle in NFL history and one of the best players in football of his generation. However, pairing Fiske and Verse with Kobie Turner and Byron Young will provide Los Angeles with a more well-rounded defensive line.
While the Rams are fully committed to the youth movement up front heading into the 2024 season, general manager Les Snead is already admitting the team has left the door open for Donald to return if he wants when the moment is right.
Will Aaron Donald unretire?
During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Snead said the Rams have spoken to Donald about the possibility of returning for a playoff run.
“I did mention [to Aaron Donald] if we happen to get to the playoffs again, maybe we’ll circle back and see.”
Los Angeles Rams GM Les Snead on conversation with Aaron Donald about unretiring
As Snead explained to Rich Eisen, the Rams have done this before. Former All-Pro safety Eric Weddle walked away from football after the 2019 season in Los Angeles. When injuries struck the Rams’ secondary, Weddle unretired and signed with the team in January 2022 and won a Super Bowl with the franchise.
Snead admits Donald unretiring is much less likely to happen and the franchise acknowledges the 32-year-old is very happy living his post-football life. However, if the Rams are heading into the playoffs with a shot to win the Super Bowl, it’s clear Los Angeles will make that call.
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