Three answers, no confirmation
Aaron Donald spoke on Monday. He said nothing. Asked about his involvement in the Rams’ season opener in Australia, the former retiree trotted out the same line again and again. “I feel good, really good. We’re going to put a game plan together and see what happens.”
Pushed hard on whether he’d be travelling with the team to Melbourne, he didn’t budge. “I feel really good. I feel great. We’re going to put a game plan together and see what happens, but I’m telling you, I feel great.” Los Angeles flies out on Tuesday to face San Francisco on Thursday night, US time.
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A compressed comeback in 10 days
The schedule explains the caution. Donald ended two years in retirement to join a team that also added Myles Garrett, the league’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year. That pairing has already put the Rams among the Super Bowl favourites before a snap has been played.
He took part in a few practices with the franchise in August, then made his return official on 30 August with a one-year, $20 million deal. Since then, there has been just one full 11-on-11 session, on Sunday. Monday was a scheduled day off.
“I’m 35,” he reminded reporters, while admitting he felt less rusty than expected. “When you haven’t played football for two years, you’ve got to be smart. Even if you feel good, you’ve still got to be smart.”
The staff is working blind, but without the panic
Sean McVay and defensive coordinator Chris Shula aren’t saying any more. It’s being handled day by day. “We’re ready if he plays, we’re ready if he doesn’t,” Shula summed up. “We’ll have a plan for how many snaps he feels he can handle, and we’ll go from there.”
The track record explains the patience. 10 seasons, 10 Pro Bowl selections, eight first-team All-Pro nods. In 154 games for the Rams between 2014 and 2023, Donald piled up 111 sacks, 543 tackles, 176 tackles for loss, 24 forced fumbles and seven recoveries. Not many interior defenders can afford to show up late.
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