As the regular season approaches for the Los Angeles Rams, former Super Bowl champion Aaron Donald has yet to announce whether he will return to play after retiring several years ago. The eight-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle sparked speculation weeks ago that he might unretire to join a defense that now includes last year's NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett, and Super Bowl-winning cornerback, Trent McDuffie. The 35-year-old Donald participated in a tryout with the team earlier this month but has not committed to officially returning.
Rams head coach Sean McVay also recently said it's still "up in the air" whether or not he returns to play for the team. Based on McVay's remarks, he couldn't provide much insight into how long a decision might take and if there might be contract issues with adding Donald to the roster. "Aaron knows that if he wants to be able to do that, that’s something that we absolutely want to be able to entertain and figure out, and that’s really all there is to it right now," McVay said after Thursday's preseason game.
More news: Raiders’ Klint Kubiak Fuels Speculation With Fernando Mendoza Response The Rams will prepare for their regular-season opener in Melbourne, Australia, where they'll play their division rivals, the San Francisco 49ers. That game is on Thursday, Sept. 10, which, as of this report, is less than two weeks away. According to NBC Sports' Mike Florio, there was initially some talk about the Rams getting Donald ready to go by that Week 1 game, but it's clear that isn't happening, since there's been no return announcement.
The NFL doesn't require Donald to be on the roster before the season starts, but Donald must return by Tuesday, December 8. That's the Tuesday after Week 13, the NFL's official deadline for any retired player to return. Donald, a 10-time Pro Bowler and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, last played in the NFL in 2023.
That was a year after he and the Rams won Super Bowl LVI over the Cincinnati Bengals. So that gives Donald and the Rams some time to work with, but the season could move fast. They remain the overall favorite to win the Super Bowl in 2027, and having Donald's experience and veteran presence back on the team could further their chances, should he be able to participate.
More news: Ben Johnson Fires Back at Media Over Bears Coverage Ahead of Season For more about the Los Angeles Rams and the NFL, visit Newsweek Sports.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
