Aaron Donald has one condition to possibly unretire, join Myles Garrett with Rams

During Tuesday's edition of the ESPN "Get Up" program, NFL insider Adam Schefter suggested that the door was slightly open for defensive superstar Aaron Donald to come out of retirement and rejoin the Los Angeles Rams after the Rams acquired two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns on Monday. 

Later on Tuesday, Pat McAfee revealed on his show that he reached out to Donald about possibly making a comeback. Donald didn't completely dismiss the idea in his response. 

Aaron Donald "thinking" about returning to Rams after Myles Garrett trade?

"It for sure got me thinking," Donald texted McAfee when asked if the three-time Defensive Player of the Year Award winner would possibly play alongside Garrett later this year. "35, removed two years ago, gotta see if that fire can light back up." 

Back in November 2025, Donald insisted he did not miss football and was "fulfilled" after he called time on his playing days following the 2023 season. 

"I just don’t love playing the game of football anymore," Donald said at the time. 

It now sounds like Donald could spend the next month or so seeing if he can reclaim the previously mentioned fire before training camp workouts begin in late July. 

Why the fire may not light back up for Aaron Donald

Excited Rams fans may not want to automatically assume that Donald's fire will light back up just because his former employer added the league's current most dominant defensive force, who is still in his physical prime. Donald reportedly considered retiring after the Rams won Super Bowl LVI in February 2022, but he ultimately agreed to a reworked contract that gave him a pay raise. Since that time, there's been no real indication that the one-time Super Bowl champion and future Hall of Famer has felt like he has anything left to prove as a player. 

Additionally, Schefter noted in his update that the Rams may not be able to add Donald to the books. Garrett signed a big-money extension last offseason, and the Rams have signed both cornerback Trent McDuffie and quarterback Matthew Stafford to extensions since March of this year. 

History suggests a rusty Donald who turned 35 years old last month wouldn't be what he was when at his best with the Rams this coming fall. For what it's worth, he likely wouldn't need to be the league's best player at his position to impact games and terrorize opposing offenses while sharing a defense with Garrett.