the “Donald coming back or not?” thread

[zn]

Could ex-Rams star Aaron Donald come out of retirement to join forces with Myles Garrett? ‘It’s a possibility’
The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year might actually return to the NFL after two years in retirement

By John Breech

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/aaron-donald-return-rumors-rams-myles-garrett-trade/

The Los Angeles Rams pulled off one of the biggest shockers of the NFL offseason on Monday when they acquired Myles Garrett in a trade with the Cleveland Browns. The Rams already had one of the best rosters in the league, and it got even better with the addition of the two-time Defensive Player of the Year.

At this point, the only way the Rams’ roster could get any better is if Aaron Donald decided to come out of retirement, but there’s no way that’s going to happen. Right? RIGHT??

Well, don’t look now, but it seems Donald is actually giving some serious consideration to a comeback. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year hung up his cleats following the 2023 season and has been out of the NFL ever since. Donald has said multiple times that he’s happily retired, but Garrett’s arrival in Los Angeles has suddenly changed things.

Donald spoke with multiple people Tuesday and made one thing clear: A return could be on the table.

Donald opens the door for a possible return

During Tuesday’s episode of “The Pat McAfee Show,” McAfee sent a text to Donald asking about a possible return to football. Not only did the former Rams star respond to the text, but he admitted that the Garrett trade has him considering a return.

“It for sure got me thinking,” Donald wrote, according to McAfee. “35, removed two years ago, got to see if that fire can light back up.”

You know Donald is serious because he sent a similar message to four different people over a 24-hour period.

The most detailed text went to NFL reporter Jordan Schultz.

“I’m for sure flirting with the idea,” Donald said of a possible return. “Helluva an opportunity with the Super Bowl in SoFi this year. If I can find the fire, it’s a possibility.”

That’s right, the Super Bowl is once again in the Rams’ home stadium.

Donald has been retired for two full seasons, but if he’s going to return for one last ride, this would be the year to do it. The Rams have a loaded roster, and the Super Bowl is at SoFi Stadium, the same place where he won his first championship. In that 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, Donald made the game-winning play.

Besides McAfee and Schultz, Donald also hinted to Michael Brockers that he might be thinking about a return.

Brockers spent seven seasons as Donald’s teammate, so he knows him as well as anyone, and Brockers had some interesting things to say about Donald on the most recent episode of the “Locked on Rams” podcast, which was recorded Monday after the Rams traded for Garrett.

“I would say that I do have some information that might be considered as some knowledge that others might not have, but I’m not going to tell it all,” Brockers said. “I will say this: My guy is staying ready so he doesn’t have to get ready, and I’m going to leave the audience with that.”

The Rams drafted Brockers No. 14 overall in the 2012 NFL Draft. Two years later, Donald joined the team after the Rams made him the No. 13 overall pick in the 2014 draft. Brockers was with the Rams through the 2020 season, so he spent seven years in the trenches with Donald. It wouldn’t be surprising if he has some insight into Donald’s thinking.

And finally, we have LeSean McCoy. On the most recent episode of his “Speakeasy” podcast McCoy said he actually texted with Donald after the Garrett trade went down.

“You know I sent that text out, ‘AD, what we going to do?’ He thinking about it,” McCoy said.

McCoy and Donald are friends off the field, and they’ve spent some time together now that both are retired. Donald actually beat McCoy in a footrace back in 2024, and if he’s still running with that kind of speed, he shouldn’t have any problem making an NFL return.

Between McAfee, Schultz, McCoy and Brockers, Donald hasn’t been shy about letting everyone know that he might return to the field, which makes it seem like he’s leaning toward a comeback.

How the Rams feel about a possible Donald return

Rams coach Sean McVay was asked about Donald on Tuesday, and he sounded excited about the idea of getting the retired star back on the field.

“Listen, if he’s interested,” McVay said. “Here’s what I’ll say: You talk to Aaron and you see what he’s saying about that.”

Well, we know what Aaron is saying, and he sounds pretty open to a comeback.

Donald spent his entire 10-year career with the Rams and stacked up plenty of accolades along the way. He was a 10-time Pro Bowler and an eight-time first-team All-Pro selection. With a résumé like that, the Rams would likely welcome him back with open arms.

“Aaron’s a guy that I stay really close in touch with and I know the respect that he has for Myles,” McVay said. “Talk to him about the opportunity to be able to bring him on board. 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.”

One reason a Donald return is realistic is because he’s been staying in shape.

Donald has been staying ready

The only way a comeback makes sense is if Donald is actually in shape, and from all accounts, that appears to be the case.

Brockers mentioned that Donald is staying ready, and if you follow Donald on social media, you know Brockers is NOT kidding. Since retiring following the 2023 season, Donald has shared plenty of workout videos, with the most recent one coming in the past few days.

And this is the part where we note that Donald’s latest workout video certainly includes an interesting caption and an even more interesting hashtag.

it’s worth pointing out that in his latest IG workout post 4 days ago, Aaron Donald in his caption has “#ready” and the song is “ain’t done” by Bixst.

this can’t be a coincidence, right? #NFL #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/0WnotZXXQP

— Chris Brockman🎙️ (@chrisbrockman) June 1, 2026

That looks like a guy who’s ready to return. Donald is only 35, so it’s certainly possible he still has some gas left in the tank.

One Rams player is already trying to lure Donald out of retirement

After the Rams traded for Garrett on Monday, Jaylen Watson jumped on Twitter and immediately started trying to recruit Donald out of retirement.

After spending his first four seasons with the Chiefs, Watson signed with the Rams in March and is now heading into his first season with the team. Watson has won two Super Bowls in his short career, so he knows what it takes to win a Lombardi Trophy, and he knows adding Donald would help the Rams’ cause.

Donald once teased that he might come out of retirement

At this point, you might be wondering how Donald feels about being retired, and we do have an answer. In May 2025, Donald said he was happily retired.

“As far as playing football, I don’t miss it,” Donald said at the time. “I don’t even have the passion or excitement to want to play football. I will always love football, but once you lose the passion, it was time to walk away.”

The only time Donald has hinted at a return came in August. After rumors started swirling that the Rams might trade for Micah Parsons, Donald sent out an interesting message saying he might have to come out of retirement if the Rams were able to land Parsons.

“That Dline would be unreal,” Donald wrote.

Obviously, the Rams didn’t get Parsons, but this shows why Donald is once again interested in coming out of retirement. Donald wants to play with another game-wrecker on defense and Garrett is a game-wrecker. There aren’t many players in the NFL who possess the presence Parsons brings to a defense, but Garrett is one of them.

Donald is a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and pairing him with a two-time Defensive Player of the Year in Garrett would give the Rams a defense that would be a nightmare for any opposing offense.

Although Donald is still on the fence about a return, the fact that he’s even considering it sure makes it seem like he’s leaning toward making a comeback.

The Rams are already loaded with talent, and if Donald comes out of retirement, it will be a case of the rich getting richer. Actually, it will be a case of the rich getting so rich that it’s almost unfair.

[Hram]

I think the chances are only slightly better than I will get to go up to space someday.

If he did come back, they have plenty of time to ease him in and keep him on a very limited snap count, while they see what kind of football shape he could get back in, for the majority of the regular season.

[Zooey]

Hram wrote:

I think the chances are only slightly better than I will get to go up to space someday.

If he did come back, they have plenty of time to ease him in and keep him on a very limited snap count, while they see what kind of football shape he could get back in, for the majority of the regular season.

Calais Campbell is 39. Cam Heyward was the highest rated DT last year. He’s 37.

I dismissed it out of hand at first. Been thinking about it all morning, though. And I’m for it. It would be a spectacle.

And, as Cowherd points out, Donald…you know…he isn’t posting pictures of himself on an exotic beach with umbrella beverages. He’s posting his workouts. Remember the video Verse posted? Verse made it sound like Donald was dragging him by the end. Donald’s in condition. And if Donald decides to do it, he will DO it. He does not half-ass anything.

[zn]

from Albert Breer’s Mailbag: https://www.si.com/nfl/albert-breer-mailbag-what-potential-aaron-donald-return-could-look-like#inline-text-3

From Vinnie (@nottakenname): Odds that Aaron Donald plays this season?

BREER: I don’t know the answer to that.

It’s a big commitment, returning to go through the whole grind after two years on the shelf, and at 35 years old. He’d have to get bowed up for training camp, battle to get into football shape and then endure the gauntlet of a 17-game regular season, plus the playoffs.

That’s why, when I was asked about it the other day by Rich Eisen (I hadn’t yet seen what Donald said to Pat McAfee) I said that it seemed more likely that he’d pull an Eric Weddle than go through all that goes along with playing the whole year.

For those who forgot, Weddle retired after spending the 2019 season with the Rams in his native Southern California. In that single season, he forged a strong bond with Sean McVay. And so in January 2022, with Jordan Fuller and Taylor Rapp hurt, and the team about to enter the playoffs, McVay called Weddle to see what sort of shape he was in. Weddle was intrigued by the idea, and the Rams signed him to the practice squad.

The six-time Pro Bowler, who’d just turned 37, came off the bench, played nine snaps and tweaked a hamstring in the first round. He then came off the bench and played 61 snaps in the divisional round against Tom Brady’s Buccaneers, then started and played every snap in the NFC title game, and started again in the Rams’ Super Bowl win over the Bengals, wearing the green dot for that game.

Incidentally, one of that game’s heroes was Donald. So he’s seen it be done before. He’s also a freak’s freak, a couple of years younger than Weddle was and played a position that’s less reliant on foot speed. I wouldn’t rule out a comeback. But to me, the idea of doing it like Weddle might be a little more realistic than coming back full-time. Either way, it’d be a heck of a story if he returned to team up with Myles Garrett, and for that reason alone I kinda hope it happens.

[wv]

Kupp on the Donald situation: “I already texted him and he’s not allowed” (to come back)

[Zooey]

wv wrote:

Kupp on the Donald situation: “I already texted him and he’s not allowed” (to come back)

I would assume that there would be cap problems. He retired with time left on his deal, I think. You can’t just retire and then come back as if that deal didn’t exist. I don’t know the rules, but I would think there would be issues.

[wv]

If he comes back, I certainly hope its not early in the season. I’d hope that he would not try to play a bunch of games at his age.

Maybe come back with a few games left in the regular season. Like maybe get a few snaps in the 49er game December 13, then a few more in the Dallas game….

49ers
Cowboys
Seahawks
Bucs
Seahawks

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[Zooey]

wv wrote:

If he comes back, I certainly hope its not early in the season. I’d hope that he would not try to play a bunch of games at his age.

There are older DTs in the league who didn’t take a 2 year hiatus. I would want him for the entire season. I want to see what they could do together. I am not worried about Aaron Donald wearing down because he’s old. He was still at his peak when he left, and the highest rated DT last year was Heyward who was 37. Bring it.

[InvaderRam]

i’d want to at least give him some time to get in football shape. weddle was cutting it a little close. rather he come in at second half of the season. but i also wonder if donald would want to do that especially if it meant cutting a player for him to just play half a season. i think i remember him not being keen on that idea.

[Zooey]

InvaderRam wrote:

i’d want to at least give him some time to get in football shape. weddle was cutting it a little close. rather he come in at second half of the season. but i also wonder if donald would want to do that especially if it meant cutting a player for him to just play half a season. i think i remember him not being keen on that idea.

I don’t remember exactly when Weddle was brought in, but it was not before camp even started. I think he came in during the season and was playing a week or two later.

And of course Donald’s presence means someone’s absence. That’s the way the number 53 works.

I don’t think it’s going to happen because of how complicated it would be, but… damn… it sure would be some jolly good fun.

[InvaderRam]

someone said that snead was asked the question of if donald could be brought in during the middle of the season. snead said that wouldn’t be donald’s style. that if he was going to return, he wasn’t going to cheat the system. he’d go from start to finish. can’t verify that. i don’t have the time to go back and watch the press conference.

[Zooey]

InvaderRam wrote:

someone said that snead was asked the question of if donald could be brought in during the middle of the season. snead said that wouldn’t be donald’s style. that if he was going to return, he wasn’t going to cheat the system. he’d go from start to finish. can’t verify that. i don’t have the time to go back and watch the press conference.

From what I know of Donald, that rings true. He would either give everything to his teammates, or sit it out altogether.

[zn]

Zooey wrote:

I don’t remember exactly when Weddle was brought in, but it was not before camp even started. I think he came in during the season and was playing a week or two later.

Weddle is a great Rams story. He actually signed at the end of the year, for the playoffs only.

This is from the wiki:

During the Wild Card Round against the Arizona Cardinals, Weddle came off the bench and played nine defensive snaps before suffering a minor hamstring injury, but remained in the game. The Rams had an easy 34–11 victory, so he eventually returned to the bench early to nurse his injuries. In the Divisional Round against the defending Super Bowl champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Weddle again came off the bench, but would have an increased load, playing 61 defensive snaps in a 30–27 victory. The next week, in the NFC Championship against the San Francisco 49ers, Weddle would start, play in every defensive snap and lead the team with nine tackles in a 20–17 win….Weddle would start again in Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals, and would wear the communication device that designated him as the play caller on defense.

The thing is, though, to ponder the obvious for a second, while a safety will obviously have to fend off blockers in space and make tackles, it;s not like a DT, who is surrounded by blockers on every play and has to play a physical collision game from snap to whistle. So I’m not sure if Weddle is a good analogy for the kind of situation Donald would face.

[wv]

I wonder why AD is thinking about a comeback now. Why would the signing of Myles Garrett change any of his algebra?

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[zn]

wv wrote:

I wonder why AD is thinking about a comeback now. Why would the signing of Myles Garrett change any of his algebra?

w
v

Strong chance for a 2nd ring.

[Zooey]

zn wrote:

wv wrote:

I wonder why AD is thinking about a comeback now. Why would the signing of Myles Garrett change any of his algebra?

w
v

Strong chance for a 2nd ring.

He had that, anyway, though. Arguably he would have been the closer the Rams needed last year to win it all. And the Rams were clearly ascending when he retired. I mean… they made it to the NFC Championship in the first year of retirement. Maybe Saquon doesn’t go off like he did if AD is there.

I think he’s just had 2 years off, and the idea of playing with Garrett… it means no more triple teams on Donald. Now the OL has to double-team two guys? That means somebody is unblocked. There is just no way to deal with two guys like that.

I think the motivation would be legacy. It could stake a claim as the greatest DL in history. Garrett, Donald, Turner, Ford, Young, Fiske. Stewart. FFS.

[zn]

Zooey wrote:

the idea of playing with Garrett… it means no more triple teams on Donald. Now the OL has to double-team two guys? That means somebody is unblocked. There is just no way to deal with two guys like that.

So…a strong chance to get a 2nd ring?

[Zooey]

zn wrote:

Zooey wrote:

the idea of playing with Garrett… it means no more triple teams on Donald. Now the OL has to double-team two guys? That means somebody is unblocked. There is just no way to deal with two guys like that.

So…a strong chance to get a 2nd ring?

Yes, and there was a strong chance last year.

[zn]

Zooey wrote:

Yes, and there was a strong chance last year.

Okay. But I think that the addition of Garrett, Watson, and McDuffie makes this year’s chances so much stronger. Once the Rams defense got figured out after the bye last year, I don’t think that chance was near as strong.

Of course I am saying this way in advance of playing hands-in-the-dirt against live bullets.

So, it’s a strong chance.

[InvaderRam]

plus it’s been two whole years and aaron is a competitor. maybe he’s getting tired of just competing against himself.

[zn]

[zn]

from MMQB, Matt Verderame: https://www.si.com/nfl/what-we-learned-this-week-nfl-trades-extensions-retirement

…

Aaron Donald returning to play with Garrett?

Upon news of the Garrett acquisition, Donald made headlines by not ruling out a potential comeback. Speaking to former NFL punter and ESPN personality Pat McAfee, Donald said it has him thinking about a potential comeback after retiring two seasons ago.

At 35, coming back after missing two years would be rare, but not unheard of. As Albert Breer pointed out, the Rams have seen a similar scenario play out before. In 2021, needing help at safety, Eric Weddle came out of retirement after missing all of ’20 and ’21 before suiting up in the postseason, helping the franchise win its second Super Bowl.

If Donald were to return, he would join the league’s best defensive line that features Kobie Turner inside, along with Byron Young and Garrett on the outside. In 2025, that trio totaled 42 sacks and 82 quarterback hits. For context, the former number would have ranked 12th for entire teams last season. Now imagine adding Donald into the mix as the ultimate wild card.

For the Rams, it would fit what’s one of the biggest all-in pushes of recent memory. After this season, Los Angeles will see a slew of talent hit unrestricted free agency, including receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, tight ends Davis Allen and Colby Parkinson, offensive linemen Kevin Dotson and Steve Avila, and Turner and Young. The Rams will keep some, but certainly not all.

If not now, when? That’s true for Los Angeles. It might also be true of Donald.

[InvaderRam]

i want to see donald come back. that’s not controversial. most rams fans i imagine if not all rams fans would like to see this happen.

rams fan since 95. too young to have seen deacon jones and merlin olsen play football. my only memories of them playing are tv clips.

when robert quinn and donald were on the team together, i imagined that’s what it was like seeing jones and olsen together. but quinn’s career was derailed by injuries. but a healthy quinn was supposed to be what garrett is now.

even if it’s just for one year, i’d like to see these two players line up together. that’d be special.

[zn]

Aaron Donald is a different kind of BEAST 😤🔥 pic.twitter.com/EXQ6PqusqL

— 4th and South (@4thAndSouthPod) June 16, 2026

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