Rams Trim Roster as Aaron Donald's Future Remains Unclear

“He’s had several workouts with the team that they’ve had to list as a free-agent workout,” Fowler said. “He’s done that. Still no firm answer, but there’s not a huge rush here. I’ve never really sensed that because they know Aaron Donald keeps himself in phenomenal shape. He can come in as an in-season sniper. You know, he doesn’t have to play the 17 games. They’re getting ready to go to Australia. Now, there is still time. They’re leaving late in the process, just a few days before next Thursday.

“So, there’s still time if he wants to get signed and acclimated. He’s also got his contract. He’s got one year, $30 million that’s frozen from his previous contract when he retired. Do they need to re-up that? They’re sort of waiting for him to decide, ‘Do I definitely want to play?’ Once he does that, then they can address his contract.”

The Rams have roughly $16.7 million in cap space after an offseason that included a raise for reigning MVP Matthew Stafford, a trade for cornerback Trent McDuffie, who then signed an extension making him one of the highest-paid players at his position, and a trade for Myles Garrett, later restructured to ease the cap hit.

Donald wouldn’t come cheap. The Rams have a plan in place to address his contract if he returns, and his $30 million already ranks fifth among defensive interior linemen in annual salary behind the Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Carter, Dallas Cowboys’ Quinnen Williams, Tennessee Titans’ Jeffery Simmons and Kansas City Chiefs’ Chris Jones.

Donald, 35, retired in 2024 as the franchise’s all-time sacks leader and a three-time Defensive Player of the Year who helped the Rams win the Super Bowl following the 2021 season, the first title of the Sean McVay era.

The Rams already project as a top-five defense with the potential to be historic. Add Donald, assuming he can still play like his old self, and that potential only grows.