Aaron Donald has ended his retirement, signing a one-year, $20 million contract with the Los Angeles Rams to join defensive star Myles Garrett.
The defensive tackle decided to come out of retirement and re-join the Los Angeles Rams, the team announced. Donald reached a one-year, $20 million deal with the franchise on Sunday, according to multiple reports, and he can earn another $10 million in incentives on the contract, too.
The move comes after the Rams made a blockbuster trade to acquire defensive superstar Myles Garrett on June 1. Fans had immediately speculated about a potential Donald return to pair the two defensive forces, a pairing that quickly turned from speculation into reality.
Training Routine and Return to the Rams
Donald had announced his retirement on March 15, 2024, and missed the last two seasons. At the time of his retirement, Donald had tallied 111 sacks over 154 games. He has the 33rd-most sacks of all time since the stat began being recorded in 1982. The last season that the defensive tackle played was in 2023. Donald played in 16 games for the Rams that year, and he finished the year with 53 total tackles, including eight sacks.
Preparation for his return began long before Sunday’s announcement. I've been working the last 12-13 weeks to train my body and get it to a point where I felt like I could play the game at a high level and be durable,
Donald told NFL insider Jordan Schultz on Sunday afternoon. I am now ready to come back to try and do something special with this group of guys. We back.
Head Coach Sean McVay on the Blockbuster Pairing
Head coach Sean McVay talked to the media about the possibility during Garrett’s introductory press conference and said he had spoken to Donald about a return. Fans weren’t the only ones who instantly thought about the possibility of a Donald reunion following the Garrett deal.
Aaron's a guy that I stay really close in touch with, and I know the respect that he has for Myles, talked to him about the opportunity to be able to bring him on board, McVay said
Sean McVay, Rams Head Coach
McVay also voiced confidence in Donald’s physical condition, telling reporters, If Aaron decides he wants to dust them off at the age of 35, I bet you he could still do it at a pretty high clip.
That ongoing dialogue ultimately cleared the path for the multi-million-dollar agreement.
A Historic Defensive Line Taking Shape in Los Angeles
Residing on the marquee will be the Donald-Garrett union, a pairing that boasts a combined 17 Pro Bowl selections, 13 All-Pro honors, 236.5 sacks and, perhaps most impressively, five combined AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Honors. Garrett, who won his second career DPOY last season after recording an NFL single-season record of 23 sacks, was viewed as the crown jewel of an astounding offseason for the Rams. The unretiring of Donald will take the Rams’ status as Super Bowl favorites into another stratosphere.
Alongside Donald and Garrett on the defensive front for Los Angeles will be standouts Braden Fiske (11.5 sacks in two seasons) and Byron Young (2025 Pro Bowler; 27.5 sacks in three seasons), along with run stuffer Poona Ford and defensive tackle Kobie Turner (24 sacks in three seasons). One talented pass rusher Donald won’t get the chance to play with is Jared Verse, who was sent to the Browns as part of the Garrett trade. Verse memorably joined a retired Donald in one of the latter’s mythical workouts and called Donald a “psychopath” after losing a challenge.
Super Bowl Aspirations and Hall of Fame Implications
Donald is coming back, though. He’ll be the only starter from that Rams Super Bowl defense on the squad, rejoining only a few teammates who won a ring with him: Tyler Higbee, Alaric Jackson, Coleman Shelton and reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford. He was a member of the Rams squad that won the Super Bowl in 2022 with a 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Super Bowl LXI will be hosted on Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California — the Rams’ home field.
One secondary aspect of Donald ending his retirement is that his eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame has reset. Whenever the defensive tackle decides to officially hang up his cleats, he will need to be out of the league for five years before being eligible for enshrinement.
Clearly, though, Donald is content letting his trip to the Hall of Fame wait. He will now start getting ready for the Rams’ season-opener against the San Francisco 49ers down in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 10.
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