Rams' Sean McVay shares fresh Aaron Donald Week 1 admission after practice absence

Eyebrows were raised when it was learned on Monday that superstar defensive lineman Aaron Donald did not practice roughly 24 hours after he officially ended his retirement and rejoined the Los Angeles Rams. 

Later on Monday, Rams head coach Sean McVay confirmed that Donald not practicing "was part of the plan all along." McVay also shared a new update regarding Donald's status for the Rams' regular-season opener versus the rival San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 10 (U.S. time).

"Absolutely" a scenario where Rams, Aaron Donald make major Week 1 decision

Per Sarah Barshop of ESPN, McVay acknowledged that there is a scenario where Donald doesn't play in Week 1. In Week 2 of the season, the Rams host the New York Giants for a "Monday Night Football" game on Sept. 21. 

"Oh, yeah, absolutely," McVay said about Donald potentially not playing against the 49ers. "That could be a possibility. I wouldn't rule anything out yet. But what I think is really good for us is if he's able to go, great. If not, that's kind of how we've been operating as is. And guys have done an excellent job of being able to do some really cool stuff in the meantime. And so, if he's not ready and that's not what's best for him and for the team, absolutely wouldn't have him playing Australia unnecessarily."

While Donald completed multiple workouts with the Rams before he signed a one-year deal, it remains to be seen whether he will feel he is in "football shape" to the point that he could make the trip for the 49ers game. Recent whispers suggested that he could skip Week 1 and instead focus on getting his body right for the matchup against the Giants. Donald, 35, hasn't played a competitive down of NFL football since he retired in March 2024.

"After he did a good job of getting some individual, figured we'd kind of just pull back a little bit," McVay added about Donald not practicing on Monday. "And he did a lot of stuff right now, just it was inside, it was kind of just off the field. So, we'll see how he's feeling, and we'll continue to just ... I know it's annoying as hell, just saying, 'taking it a day at a time,' but it is a unique thing that this has never been done before."

What Aaron Donald's new role with Rams will look like

As recently as Monday, a report noted that the Rams' "plan would be to play [Donald] 30-40 snaps per game, which is a lot less than he played in his prime." It sounds like McVay and Donald haven't yet fully determined how the three-time Defensive Player of the Year's current role will differ from what it was a few years ago. 

"I think a lot of it is contingent upon how does he feel," McVay explained. "You know, we haven't even done 11-on-11 football with him yet. So, I think the first steps are let's get him into some of those settings, see what that really looks like, and then he'll kind of help lead and guide us in terms of what that looks like to maximize him in addition to the other guys in that room."

The Rams began Tuesday as the overall betting favorites to win Super Bowl LXI. That says plenty about why McVay cares more about Donald being at his best in January than about the Week 1 game overseas.