Aaron Donald has the proverbial itch.
Will the three-time defensive player of the year come out of retirement to scratch it?
That’s still an open question as the Rams continue with training camp in late July, which General Manager Les Snead addressed during a Monday interview with ESPN Los Angeles.
“This is the first time Aaron’s … probably had the itch to come back, try to do something meaningful — which has been cool to see,” Snead said. “When you retire from the NFL, that’s probably a cliff that’s like, the next chapter, it’s foggy. It’s like, wait a minute, is the next portion of my life going to be as… But it’s interesting with Aaron, he’s really enjoyed these years off and hasn’t necessarily missed the game. He says he’s missed it every now and then, but not enough to say, I want to come back. This is the first time that, you know what, there’s a real itch there.”
The obvious appeal for Donald to come back is to play with fellow multi-time defensive player of the year winner Myles Garrett. If Donald does elect to string up his cleats again, count Snead among those who would appreciate seeing it just for the sake of potential football history.
“It’s almost like, how many times in a lifetime in like this universe thing where, OK, wait a minute, [you get] Myles Garrett, now Aaron Donald wants to come back,” Snead said. “He happens to be still young enough to do it. Like, that doesn’t happen often.
“So, I think I would show up to the game, and it wouldn’t be like you were the G.M. It would be like, wow, this is kind of something I’m watching on Netflix.”
Donald reportedly is going to take his time with making a decision. But it’s clear that the Rams would gladly welcome him back if he wants to play in 2026.
