Rams Preparing Aaron Donald Contingencies

“I think all of those things are up in the air,” McVay said (via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith). “I wish I had a little bit better ability to give you some clarity, but it’s really one of those deals that, what we’re doing we’re focusing on this football team.

“Aaron knows that if he wants to be able to do that, that’s something that we absolutely want to be able to entertain and figure out, and that’s really all there is to it right now.”

The deadline for roster cuts is approaching, and the Rams’ planning on that front will obviously depend in part on whether or not Donald has a realistic chance of suiting up in 2026. McVay recently noted (h/t ESPN’s Sarah Barshop) Los Angeles has been preparing a 53-man roster with the future Hall of Famer in place and one without him. All parties have hoped to have at least a rough timeline in place regarding a potential return to the fold, but that has remained elusive through the summer.

Donald has taken part in multiple Rams workouts while attempting to see if resuming his NFL tenure would be feasible. The 35-year-old has been out of the league for the past two seasons following a decade-long run with the Rams which included a Super Bowl title, 10 Pro Bowl nods and eight appearances on the All-Pro first team. A rotational role at best would realistically be expected in the event of a return, especially given the Rams’ existing depth along their defensive line.

Earlier this month, it appeared as though the Rams were anticipating a Donald decision in the near future. McVay has not issued any kind of deadline in this situation, but it is increasingly likely any potential deal will not be in place in time for Week 1 participation. How Los Angeles operates over the coming days as roster cuts take place could be telling with respect to when (if at all) Donald can be expected to suit up.