After nearly two months of speculation, rumors, and secret workouts, defensive tackle Aaron Donald is officially coming out of retirement to play for the Los Angeles Rams. According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Donald is set to return on a one-year, $20 million deal that’s worth up to $30 million with playoff incentives.

When the Rams traded for edge rusher Myles Garrett back in June, Donald began teasing the idea of coming out of retirement. What may have started as a playful joke suddenly turned into a potential reality. As the end of the offseason program got closer, it seemed like only a matter of when, not if, Donald would come back. 

Over the past several weeks, Donald has been working to get into football shape and putting himself through workouts to see how his body would react. Donald had one secret workout at the team facility before training camp. He has since been listed as ‘trying out’ for the team on the NFL’s official transaction wire twice.

Donald coming out of retirement is a sign that he feels good and believes that he can play at a respectable level. If Donald was going to come out of retirement, the thought was that he would return for the full season or not at all. This was never going to be a situation in which Donald returned for just a playoff run.

With Donald’s decision coming 11 days before the Rams’ Week 1 game against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia, there’s no word on whether he will be ready for the opener or held out until Week 2. However, Donald’s decision follows a similar timeline as his holdout in 2018. Donald returned around 10 days before the Week 1 opener that season and played in the opener against the Raiders.

Donald will now join a Rams team that is considered a Super Bowl favorite. He will also be part of a defensive line that includes Kobie Turner, Byron Young, Braden Fiske, and most importantly, Myles Garrett. Garrett seemed to be the big pull for Donald, as he will get to play alongside one of this generation’s best defensive players.

With the Rams set to play the 49ers in 11 days in Australia, it will be interesting to see what Donald’s snap count is like and how much of an impact he’ll have on the defense and the pass rush. It seems almost surreal that Donald is returning after two years away and at 35 years old. Donald last played for the Rams in 2023, with his final game being the playoff loss to the Detroit Lions. Now, Donald will look to go out on top with another Super Bowl title.

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