Aaron Donald is coming out of retirement and returning to the Los Angeles Rams on a one-year contract worth $20 million, with incentives that could raise the package to $30 million, according to reports Sunday from ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The three-time Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year last played in 2023 and sat out the following two seasons. He will now share a defensive line with Myles Garrett, giving the Rams two of the most decorated interior and edge rushers in league history.
Donald, 35, spent his entire 10-year career with the Rams after the franchise drafted him 13th overall out of Pittsburgh in 2014. He retired in March 2024, saying he was “complete” and no longer felt the same passion to grind through another training camp and 17-game season.
The Pittsburgh native finished his first stint with 111 sacks, a Rams franchise record, along with 543 tackles, 176 tackles for loss and 24 forced fumbles in 154 regular-season games. He missed only six games to injury across a decade, all of them late in 2022.
Donald earned 10 Pro Bowl selections and eight first-team All-Pro honors. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2014 and captured the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2017, 2018 and 2020, joining Lawrence Taylor and J.J. Watt as the only players with three such trophies.
He also helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI after the 2021 season. In 11 postseason games he added 34 tackles and six sacks. Only John Randle has more official sacks among defensive tackles since the statistic became official in 1982.
Coach Sean McVay said throughout training camp that the team would not rush Donald and would welcome him if he decided his body and mindset were ready. The acquisition of Garrett from Cleveland in June reportedly helped spark Donald’s interest in a return.
Garrett, 30, arrives after a 2025 season in which he set the NFL single-season sack record with 23. He has 125.5 career sacks in 134 games, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, five first-team All-Pro nods and seven Pro Bowl berths.
Together the pair present a rare combination of interior disruption and edge speed. Donald long drew double teams that created opportunities for teammates. Garrett has recorded at least 12 sacks in six consecutive seasons, an NFL record.
The one-year deal keeps Donald’s commitment short while giving Los Angeles a high-upside addition for a roster already viewed as a Super Bowl contender. Incentives tied to playing time, sacks and team success could push the total value to $30 million.
Donald was the fastest defensive tackle in league history to reach 100 career sacks. He also posted 20.5 sacks in 2018, still one of the highest single-season totals by an interior lineman.
At 6-foot-1 and listed near 285 pounds during his prime, Donald overcame questions about size with rare explosiveness and technique. Scouts and coaches routinely described him as the most disruptive player of his generation even when offenses dedicated extra blockers to him.
The Rams open the 2026 season with a defense that now features Donald, Garrett and other established pieces. How quickly Donald can recapture his previous form after two years away remains the central question, but the contract structure limits the financial risk.
Donald’s return closes a circle that began when he first considered walking away after the Super Bowl title and ultimately did so two seasons later. The numbers he left behind still rank among the best ever compiled by a defensive tackle.
