AD is back, for real this time
Aaron Donald is coming out of retirement to play for his old team. According to Adam Schefter, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year has agreed to a one-year, $20 million deal with the Rams that includes playoff incentives worth up to $30 million. Two seasons after walking away, the 35-year-old is officially back in Los Angeles.
Donald will line up alongside Myles Garrett on a defensive front that suddenly looks terrifying for opposing offenses. The Rams landed Garrett, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, back in June, and it was reportedly a conversation about that move that got Donald thinking about a return in the first place.
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Two DPOYs, one defensive line
Pairing Garrett and Donald together is about as rare as it gets — two of the league’s most recent Defensive Player of the Year winners on the same unit. It hands Sean McVay an extra weapon to build his defense around, and gives the Rams’ pass rush a ceiling few teams in the league can match.
The structure of the deal works for both sides: a short-term, incentive-heavy contract limits the Rams’ financial exposure while still letting Donald cash in big if the team makes a real playoff push.
A Hall of Fame résumé, still writing chapters
Donald retired in March 2024 after ten seasons, all with the Rams — 111 career sacks, eight first-team All-Pro selections, and a Pro Bowl nod in every single year. He’s lacing back up with the same goal that defined his career: making life miserable for opposing offensive lines.
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