Rams DC Chris Shula makes feelings clear on potential Aaron Donald comeback

Defensive superstar Aaron Donald took a big step toward possibly coming out of retirement to return to the Los Angeles Rams for the 2026 season when he worked out at the team's facility on Wednesday and was officially listed on the NFL's "tryout" list.

Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula wasn’t present for Donald's session, but the workout nevertheless has Shula excited about what the future Hall of Famer could offer Los Angeles later this year.

Chris Shula would "be really excited" to work with Aaron Donald again

"Obviously, I’d be really excited about that," Shula said on Wednesday about the possibility of Donald playing for the first time since he retired in March 2024, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "You’re getting one of the best players of all time. I’ve had a great history with him. I was here in ’17, coaching other positions with him. I know what a great guy he is, what a hard worker he is, and what he would mean to this defense. But at the same time, we’re going to coach the guys who are here, and if he decides to come back, that’d be great." 

As Shula referenced, he and Donald aren't strangers. The Rams grabbed Donald in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, while Shula first began serving as a defensive assistant with the team in 2017.

Chris Shula has thought about having Aaron Donald and Myles Garrett as part of the same defense

On Wednesday, Rams head coach Sean McVay joked that Donald completed the "best tryout we've ever had" and "could make the team." Presumably, a big reason Donald would come back to try to earn a second Super Bowl championship ring is that he feels he and pass-rusher Myles Garrett could serve as a dominant one-two punch. 

Shula understandably seems excited about the thought of pairing Donald with Garrett.

"I think I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it a little bit," Shula admitted about possibly working with Donald and Garrett. "You’re anticipating, but at the same time, we’re putting it in the core of our defense right now. We’re building our defense step by step. If he decides to come, whenever that is, that’s not going to affect exactly how we’re doing it right now."

A Wednesday update indicated that Donald could make a final decision about playing this coming season as soon as next week. It sounds like Shula is ready to have Donald and Garrett on the field for the Rams' Week 1 game against the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia.