Could Aaron Donald come out of retirement amid Rams' latest pursuit of Super Bowl?

Future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Aaron Donald seemingly had plenty left in the tank when he retired in March 2024. 

Donald is still only 34 years old, so some understandably have wondered if he could make an in-season return to a Los Angeles Rams side that looks like a legitimate championship contender this fall. 

The Rams plan to honor Donald during their upcoming "Sunday Night Football" home game versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, he indicated he is just fine staying retired as a one-time Super Bowl champion. 

Does Aaron Donald miss playing in the NFL?

"No," Donald directly responded when asked if he misses football, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "To be honest with you, I never have had an itch after I retired to like, 'I want to come back, I want to play football still.' You miss things from the game, and for me, it’s not really playing the game. It’s being in the locker room, hanging with the guys, watching film, cracking jokes, more the camaraderie with the fellas."

Donald reportedly considered retirement after the Rams won Super Bowl LVI in February 2022, but ultimately agreed to a reworked contract that included the three-time Defensive Player of the Year receiving a raise. His 2022 campaign then ended after just 11 games due to an ankle issue, but he was named a first-team All-Pro for the eighth time in his career for his play during the 2023 season. 

More recently, the 2025 Rams won eight of their first 10 games to open the ongoing campaign. Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford is the betting favorite to claim Most Valuable Player Award honors, but Donald seems content with remaining an outside observer. 

Why Aaron Donald won't come out of retirement

"I’m OK," Donald added during his comments. "I’m fulfilled. I’m happy with where I’m at in my life right now and what I’m doing, and obviously, everything I do, I strive for greatness. I felt like I checked that off of football and in the next chapter of life, just transitioning all that into what I’m trying to do and build right now. I love the game of football. I just don’t love playing the game of football anymore." 

Back in December 2024, Rams head coach Sean McVay said that he felt "like it would be disrespectful to approach" Donald about possibly coming out of retirement. Perhaps McVay understood at that time that Donald had moved on to the non-playing portion of his life.