the “Donald coming back or not?” thread

[wv]

Damn. 35 years old. I dunno.

I dont know what to expect from Aaron after that long a layoff, at his age.

Ali was very good, but not quite as good as he had been after his long layoff.

How do you even approach this if you are the Rams?

I would seriously limit his playing time, ifn-it-were-me. No matter what Aaron thinks or feels a long layoff and 35 years, is a big deal.

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[wv]

[wv]

[InvaderRam]

wv wrote:

How do you even approach this if you are the Rams?

i would slowly onboard him. start him with just pass rushing situations and ramp it up depending on how he responds to those reps. hopefully by the end of the season the rams are in playoff contention and his body is acclimated to a heavier load.

jordan took one full season and most of a second season off before coming back and he wasn’t quite able to get all the way back that second season until the playoffs. so i imagine donald could do something similar? but he was also only 31 at the time. on the other hand that was a little over thirty years ago and sports science is more advanced now. i think that getting donald back into game shape would be more informed now.

it won’t be easy. i think strength wise he should be fine. but speed, explosion, and flexibility are something else. colliding with other massive humans is something else. they should ease him into it. but again. going to the jordan comparison. he played 17 regular season games and struggled. but then the playoffs came and he took off.

i think the rams and the training staff could come up with a plan to get the best donald possible by the end of the season.

[InvaderRam]

Davante Adams posted this on his IG story and Aaron Donald reposted… it’s basically official… ANNOUNCE IT ALREADY 😭 pic.twitter.com/cjl5OZt8cv

— Rams Tapes 🇵🇷 (@RamsTapes) July 13, 2026

[zn]

"Aaron Donald told the [Rams] he wanted to go [to the facility], work out see how he felt, see how he reacted."@AdamSchefter on Aaron Donald working out at the Rams' facility 👀

(via @PatMcAfeeShow) pic.twitter.com/qSxSY5oa1i

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) July 13, 2026

[zn]

from https://theramswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2026/07/14/peter-schrager-details-aaron-donalds-preferred-role-rams/90918532007/?taid=6a567f456f830000013a509c&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter

On a recent episode of The Pat McAfee Show, NFL insider Peter Schrager shared crucial insights into Donald’s mindset, emphasizing that if the future Hall of Famer does return, it will not be in a limited or compromised capacity.

According to Schrager, Donald is focused on maintaining his elite standard of play rather than returning as a shell of his former self. His recent workout sessions are not just about staying active—they are a deliberate assessment of whether his body can still perform at a championship level.

“Aaron Donald is not going to come back as some 30-cents-on-the-dollar version of Aaron Donald,” Schrager explained. “He wants to be ready—that’s why that workout was going on. He wants to be fully where he was when he retired two years ago. He wants to be the best version of himself.”

[InvaderRam]

zn wrote:

“Aaron Donald is not going to come back as some 30-cents-on-the-dollar version of Aaron Donald,” Schrager explained. “He wants to be ready—that’s why that workout was going on. He wants to be fully where he was when he retired two years ago. He wants to be the best version of himself.”

well. if donald does come back, we’ll at least have some confidence that he’ll come back at least close to what he was.

[wv]

InvaderRam wrote:

well. if donald does come back, we’ll at least have some confidence that he’ll come back at least close to what he was.

Yeah, at this point with him working out with the team and all, i think the onliest thing that would stop him from coming back is if he just cant get the skillset, the explosiveness, the power back.

And there’s no way to know if he can get it back. Just have to wait and see how the workouts go for him.

He’s such a perfectionist, i dunno if he will come back if he can only be, say, 90 percent of what he was.

I cant remember a great DLineman in his mid thirties coming back from a two year layoff, btw.

….would we wanna see him come back if he’s lost a step?

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[Hram]

Only one step, maybe.

Half a step, if he could handle that mentally, I believe so. That still probably puts him in the top 10% of DTs in the league.

[wv]

(“…i think the Aleric Jackson thing is bigger than people realize…”

[InvaderRam]

wv wrote:

I cant remember a great DLineman in his mid thirties coming back from a two year layoff, btw.

there’s some hope. the closest comparison i could find is reggie white.

he retired after his age 37 season and came back one year later in his age 39 season.

1998 age 37 season he had 16 sacks.

2000 age 39 season he had 5.5 sacks.

so he actually retired at an older age with 216 games under his belt at the time. aaron donald retired at his age 32 season with 154 games under his belt. so donald retired at a significantly younger age with significantly less games played and you’d think less wear and tear. if he does come back, he will actually be younger than white was when he retired the first time by two years.

the only question is how much does the extra year off affect his body. does he lose the power and explosion and speed or does his body benefit the extra year of rest compared to white’s one year away from the game? and how long does it take to regain that with conditioning if it is possible?

another example although quite different is michael jordan. he took off nearly two years. and he had to completely change his body and skill set. but he did successfully make a comeback at a much less physically demanding sport. he was also significantly younger than donald retiring the first time at age 29.

sports science is more advanced now than it was back then so there’s that as well.

i would like to see donald come back. it wouldn’t necessarily color my view of what he was back then. maybe we could even see a different version of aaron donald who is equally compelling.

and to see myles garrett and aaron donald playing together… i never saw deacon jones and merlin olsen play together, but they could be this generation’s version of that duo.

• This reply was modified 2 weeks, 4 days ago by InvaderRam.
• This reply was modified 2 weeks, 4 days ago by InvaderRam.

[wv]

InvaderRam wrote:

there’s some hope. the closest comparison i could find is reggie white.

he retired after his age 37 season and came back one year later in his age 39 season.

1998 age 37 season he had 16 sacks.

2000 age 39 season he had 5.5 sacks.

so he actually retired at an older age with 216 games under his belt at the time. aaron donald retired at his age 32 season with 154 games under his belt. so donald retired at a significantly younger age with significantly less games played and you’d think less wear and tear. if he does come back, he will actually be younger than white was when he retired the first time by two years.

the only question is how much does the extra year off affect his body. does he lose the power and explosion and speed or does his body benefit the extra year of rest compared to white’s one year away from the game? and how long does it take to regain that with conditioning if it is possible?

another example although quite different is michael jordan. he took off nearly two years. and he had to completely change his body and skill set. but he did successfully make a comeback at a much less physically demanding sport. he was also significantly younger than donald retiring the first time at age 29.

sports science is more advanced now than it was back then so there’s that as well.

i would like to see donald come back. it wouldn’t necessarily color my view of what he was back then. maybe we could even see a different version of aaron donald who is equally compelling.

and to see myles garrett and aaron donald playing together… i never saw deacon jones and merlin olsen play together, but they could be this generation’s version of that duo.

I dunno. I think it will be very hard for him to come back. I’ve been 35. And 35 is not 33 🙂

I also agree with Albert Breer in the vid up above. He talks about the fact that unlike with Weddle, the Rams dont ‘need’ Donald to play that much. They have good interior DLinemen. They can give Donald a pitch-count. Ease him in slowly, or maybe dont even play him until November.

Breer said even if Donald is their best interior lineman, why risk him getting hurt early. Cause, again, 35 with two years off is a very tricky situation.

I remember a situation where Bill Walsh brought in an old Hall of Fame type DE (cant remember his name). Pass rush specialist. And the 49ers played him only when they needed a big play on third down. And he delivered. Who was that guy? Fred Dean, maybe?

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[zn]

"The Rams don't need him to play 60 or 70 snaps a game… What a nightmare that's going to be for offenses if he's anything close to what he was before."@colincowherd and @AlbertBreer discuss Aaron Donald potentially returning to the Rams pic.twitter.com/AosdCzg9h8

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) July 15, 2026

[Zooey]

wv wrote:

Ease him in slowly, or maybe dont even play him until November.

The thing is that Donald doesn’t want to come back unless he can be the guy he was when he left. He doesn’t want the courtesy treatment. He wants to play. He wants to come back with everything, of not at all.

I think his return depends upon his willingness to make compromises.

[zn]

.@RamsNFL @PoonaF_95 always a place in this league for players like Poona..Strong as an Ox; healthy as a horse; heart of a lion! #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/TdYGZXtpje

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) July 16, 2026

[InvaderRam]

zn wrote:

@RamsNFL @PoonaF_95 always a place in this league for players like Poona..Strong as an Ox; healthy as a horse; heart of a lion! #BaldysBreakdowns

if donald comes back, and i know this has been mentioned before, but if he does come back, it’s not just garrett and donald. you got turner and ford and young. plus fiske. that could form a special special dline.

[wv]

[Zooey]

The Seahawks have a secret weapon against Aaron Donald?

Let me guess: it’s that they traded Russell Wilson?

[zn]

Zooey wrote:

The Seahawks have a secret weapon against Aaron Donald?

Let me guess: it’s that they traded Russell Wilson?

Besides. Let’s say Donald does come back, and let’s say Seattle still knows how to keep his impact down a bit. That’s not going to be much consolation while facing Garrett and Young and Turner at the same time (Young has grown up and only a nagging knee held him back at the end of the season in 2025). Plus Ford and Fiske can play too, more so than any other DL who played alongside Donald from 2017 to 2023. And maybe Stewart steps up too.

Any attention Donald gets would just open things up for the others. Any attention any team would give to both Garrett and Donald at the same time would just do that even more.

Let’s say you’re facing Garrett and Young on the outside and Donald, Turner, and Fiske on the DL. That’s 5. You have 5 OL, a TE, and a chipping RB to block. That’s 7. If you double MG and AD, then it’s 3 on 3. You can’t triple either MG or AD without giving someone else less attention. If the Rams rush just 4, then someone is singled up. And that would not be just any “someone”–that would be someone of the caliber of Turner or Young.

Assuming the Rams rush 5 in that set (and they would probably rush just 4), that would leave 3 WRs against 6 or 7 DBs (or DBs and an LB or 2 in coverage). So you have 3 WRs going against a dime or dime+ coverage, while the qb would be facing one of the most ferocious pass rushing defenses of all time.

If you add another TE or 6th OL to the offense for more secure pass blocking, that’s only 2 WRs.

Plus–imagine blitzing from that defense. 😮 With either 3 WRs going against 6 in coverage or just 2 WRs going against 6 in coverage.

Short version: if he comes back, limiting Donald a bit is not going to be as much help as it used to be before Garrett, Turner, Young, Fiske, and Ford (plus maybe Stewart too).

But like many others I assume that even without Donald, the combination of Garrett, Young, Turner, Fiske, and Ford (plus maybe Stewart) will be plenty good all on its own.

Garret btw did well against Seattle the 2 times he has faced them (2019 and 2023). Cleveland lost both times but he himself played well against them.

[wv]

zn wrote:

But like many others I assume that even without Donald, the combination of Garrett, Young, Turner, Fiske, and Ford (plus maybe Stewart) will be plenty good all on its own.
.

Yeah, the Rams defense (barring injuries) has the potential to be as good as — and i cant believe I’m writing this — the Texans.

And that is just ridiculous.

So even if the Rams offense has injuries and goes off the rails, they could still be a dangerous team.

…i hate all this super-team, front-runner stuff. Especially since they havent won anything, unlike Seattle. Rams as favorites. What do we even do with that? I dont like it.

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[zn]

wv wrote:

…i hate all this super-team, front-runner stuff. Especially since they havent won anything, unlike Seattle. Rams as favorites. What do we even do with that? I dont like it.

w
v

I have the exact same feeling. I don’t really like it much either. The last time the Rams were absolute pre-season favorites was 2001, and in the end of course they lost that super bowl.

[InvaderRam]

wv wrote:

zn wrote:

But like many others I assume that even without Donald, the combination of Garrett, Young, Turner, Fiske, and Ford (plus maybe Stewart) will be plenty good all on its own.
.

Yeah, the Rams defense (barring injuries) has the potential to be as good as — and i cant believe I’m writing this — the Texans.

And that is just ridiculous.

So even if the Rams offense has injuries and goes off the rails, they could still be a dangerous team.

…i hate all this super-team, front-runner stuff. Especially since they havent won anything, unlike Seattle. Rams as favorites. What do we even do with that? I dont like it.

w
v

and that’s not even mentioning the additions of mcduffie and watson which should buy the dline more time and/or cause more turnovers.

[zn]

from Albert Breer, https://www.si.com/nfl/albert-breer-biggest-storylines-nfl-training-camp#inline-text-90

…

Aaron Donald

Is Aaron Donald ready to roll? The Rams’ legend is training now as if he’s going to play and has told people that if he thinks he can be himself on Sundays, he’ll go through with what would be a borderline unprecedented return to the NFL.

So what would stop him at this point?

The first thing is pretty obvious—the bar for Donald to be himself is about as high as any player at his position in the sport’s history. To get to a point where he feels like the guy who obliterated NFL linemen and protection schemes for a decade isn’t as simple as flipping a switch, no matter what sort of shape he has kept himself in over his two years out of the NFL.

The second is a little more nuanced. Donald was very happy in retirement, and never ruminated to those in the organization that he wanted to come back. In other words, this isn’t a guy who has had some enormous struggle adjusting to civilian life. The 10-time Pro Bowler is a happy retiree, by all accounts, which is to say the idea of going back to that life isn’t something he’ll view as a failure.

That said, we all see where this is going. He has been working out—and testing himself—at the team’s facility (as TMZ’s spies revealed last week). The way things are set up with a deep, balanced, loaded defensive front will allow for tremendous flexibility in his deployment. The chance to compete for a championship with a team that went to the mat with the world-champion Seahawks in the NFC title game is there. So is the chance to play next to Myles Garrett.

The Rams, for their part, haven’t pushed. They’ve told him they’d love to have him. But they want the decision to be the 35-year-old Donald’s and Donald’s alone. And they’ll be judicious in how they work him back in, should he return. Having Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske, Poona Ford and Tyler Davis, among others, at defensive tackle would allow for Donald to be managed through camp, and in games, as he gets his sea legs back.

Of course, the flip side of that is that Donald has never been a guy who’s done anything halfway. He’ll want to earn what he gets, yes, but he won’t be the one putting the governor on how much he practices or plays—and that’s where the Rams will have to find the balance between what Donald wants and what’s best for him and the team.

But all things considered? This has a chance to be a great, unique story. The closest comp I could come up with for it, in any sport, was Michael Jordan coming back with the Wizards three years after retiring from the Bulls. We covered the Eric Weddle parallels last month, and while that will inform the organization to some degree in how to handle this, that was a guy returning for a max of four games in an emergency situation.

This is much different than that—or really anything I can think of.

Which is what makes it so damn interesting.

[wv]

A.Donald compilation, from Long’s podcast

[wv]

You people KNOW the football gods are not going to let us have Myles and AD.

You kNOW that. Did they let us have Kurt and Faulk? No. Faulk’s knee blew up and Kurt’s thumb blew out.

The gods will taunt us. Maybe…oh,…three games. I give it three games. So enjoy it while it lasts. Before Myles blows out his knee, and Aaron blows up his thumb.

We are Ram fans. We are not allowed to have a super team.

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[Zooey]

I expect we will know by the 25th.

[Hram]

I’d like to see a defense equivalent to the 85 bears. Is that too much to ask?

[zn]

"My understanding is that Aaron Donald is getting in football shape right now..

It's gonna be a while before we hear a final decision on when he's coming back..

He's in his own pre training camp routine"@AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/sOoNtUmTgz

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 21, 2026

[zn]

AARON DONALD 2018 EVERY SACK (AND TKL, QB HIT, TFL, FF, FR) ⬇️⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/CkeiDFZxsw

— betz (@adaptskill) July 22, 2026

[Author]

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