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Sean McVay, Aaron Donald to 'run it back' with Rams?

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 2/16/22

Before the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 to win Super Bowl LVI, rumors surfaced that both head coach Sean McVay and All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald could retire if the Rams emerged from this past Sunday's game victorious. The two Super Bowl champions took part in Wednesday's celebratory parade and, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, hinted they could return for at least one more season.

After Donald was asked about the future, McVay chanted "Run it back! Run it back!" toward the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Donald seemed open to the idea while addressing cheering Rams fans as part of the closing moments of Wednesday's occasion.

"We built a super team," Donald said of the new champs. "We’re gonna bring a super team back! Why not run it back? We can be world champions again."

By most accounts, Donald already had a spot reserved in the Hall of Fame before the events of Feb. 13, so the 30-year-old riding off into the sunset as a healthy Super Bowl winner made sense even if he has plenty left in the tank. Pro Football Talk staff members named Donald and not wide receiver Cooper Kupp as their Most Valuable Player for Super Bowl LVI, and Donald's latest comments suggest he could be convinced that retiring at the top of his profession wouldn't be the correct call this winter or spring.

As is often the case, however, salary-cap issues could ultimately impact such decisions:

If Sean McVay retires at 36, it's pretty obvious what happened

Rams are in cap hell, and gave away all those future draft picks. The reason McVay didn't mind it appears obvious now, he just said to himself: "I'm not going to stick around to deal with it on the bad times anyway."
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 16, 2022

*If* they do restructures, and decide to kick the can down the line, then of course Rams can improve their cap. But *at some point* they'll have to deal with it. Or simply keep kicking it and kicking it and make it bigger

But at this very moment? -$10M in cap with FAs to re-sign
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 16, 2022