Report reveals when Aaron Donald could make final Rams decision amid comeback rumors

It is no longer a secret that defensive superstar Aaron Donald reportedly is "thinking very hard about" coming out of retirement to play alongside recently acquired Los Angeles Rams pass-rusher and two-time Defensive Player of the Year Award winner Myles Garrett later this year. 

That said, it also seems like Donald has not yet decided that he definitely wants to play for the entire 2026 season. 

Aaron Donald trying to get into "football shape"

"Football shape is a little bit different," league reporter Ian Rapoport said about Donald while speaking during Thursday's edition of NFL Network's "The Insiders" program. "So, it certainly sounds like Aaron Donald's going to start working out football-wise and take the next little bit of time to say, 'Can I get in football shape enough to be the Aaron Donald that I was or the best and closest thing to that when [I] left the NFL?'"

Donald retired in March 2024, and the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year turned 35 years old this past May. While a recent update suggested that Donald "wants to be the best version of himself" and only "wants to go the full season if he comes back," it sounds like he may be open to skipping Week 1 of the upcoming campaign. 

The Rams will open the season with a matchup versus the rival San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 10 (U.S. time). 

Will Aaron Donald report to Rams for the start of training camp?

Veteran Rams players are due to report for training camp on July 25. Excited Los Angeles fans may want to prepare themselves to not see Donald among those players.

"There's no real deadline here," Rapoport added about an eventual Donald decision. "I don't believe that, based on what I know, that Aaron Donald is going to be showing up for training camp for the Rams. If he does show up, it would probably even be to the end of training camp or maybe could even be into the season because he's not going to be playing 50 or 60 plays on defense. He'll be more of a spot guy. But yes, Aaron Donald does seem to be exploring this possibility."

Rapoport's update leads one to believe that Donald won't confirm his plans for the 2026 season before August at the earliest. Despite such uncertainty, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Rams on Friday morning as the overall betting favorites at +550 odds to win Super Bowl LXI.