Rams' Sean McVay gives update on Aaron Donald's 2026 debut

Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rams' Sean McVay gives update on Aaron Donald's 2026 debut

By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated Sep 17, 2026 5:35 PM ET

Will Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald make his much-anticipated return in Week 2?

Right now, nobody knows, not even head coach Sean McVay.

Donald hasn't played since January 2024, when the Rams lost to the Detroit Lions in a wild-card game. He came out of retirement this summer hoping to make another Super Bowl push, but he sat out Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers.

Sean McVay doesn't add clarity to the Aaron Donald situation

On Thursday, McVay spoke to reporters and said they will see how Donald does before making a decision for Week 2's game against the New York Giants on "Monday Night Football."

Sean McVay said Aaron Donald will practice in full today, but they’ll see how this week of practice goes before determining whether he plays Monday night vs. Giants.
— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) September 17, 2026

McVay had a pretty similar comment on Monday, and it appears nothing much has changed on the Donald front.

Sean McVay said the Rams haven't decided yet whether Aaron Donald will play on Monday Night Football against the Giants.

"He's going to continue to work his process, and we'll see what that looks like," McVay said.
— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) September 14, 2026

The Rams placed Myles Garrett on IR after the Week 1 loss, so the Donald-Garrett duo will have to wait at least a few weeks.

As for Donald, NFL insider Ian Rapoport said there is a "very, very realistic chance" that Donald suits up for Week 2 against the Giants, so it certainly seems that this is the consensus, even if McVay hasn't made the announcement just yet.

The Rams have a few days until a decision needs to be made, and we probably won't get any indication until Sunday or even Monday.

Matt Wadleigh

Matt Wadleigh is based in California and born and raised in the San Diego area. He studied print journalism at Fresno State for college and got to watch Paul George, Derek Carr and Davante Adams play in a Bulldogs uniform. His work has been featured at ClutchPoints, Sportscasting, Sporting News, and various USA Today sites, including UCLA Wire, where he was the first managing editor

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