AUGUST 8: Donald’s workout on Wednesday included individual drills with Rams defensive line coach Giff Smith as well as members of the team’s strength and conditioning staff, per Nate Atkins of The Athletic. Donald’s private speed coach, DeWayne Brown, was also in attendance.
Donald also went through a workout at UCLA on Friday, but declined to offer any clarity regarding his potential return when asked by fans. No decision is expected until after the Rams return from Loyola Marymount University to their facility in Woodland Hills on Saturday.
AUGUST 5: Aaron Donald may be one step closer to returning to the Rams. The 35-year-old defensive tackle popped up on the NFL’s transaction report Wednesday after going through a workout at the team’s facility in Woodland Hills.
Technically, Donald was listed under the tryout section of the NFL’s daily personnel notice, though that is somewhat of a misnomer. He merely “wanted to do some football-like workouts in a helmet,” per Jonathan Jones of The Athletic. He did so using the Rams’ equipment and facility, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, so Los Angeles was required to report it to the league.
That was not the case for Donald’s first workout in mid-July. Jones adds that an official move is not imminent, though the eight-time All-Pro may still come back in time for Week 1 of the regular season.
Rams head coach Sean McVay said last week (via The Ringer’s Lindsay Jones) that Donald is going through “a very specific process” as he evaluates his ability to return to the gridiron after two years. He did not wear pads during his activities on Wednesday, Schefter notes, another indication of his extended ramp-up process as he weighs what would be a remarkable NFL comeback.
Donald retired in 2023, and though workout videos have been a mainstay on his social media since, getting back into professional football shape is a different story altogether. That includes reacclimating to moving around in helmets, pads, and cleats.
Another key aspect of Donald’s workout was the absence of the rest of the team. The Rams are holding their training camp at Loyola Marymount University this year, so this was not a case of Donald testing things out with his potential new teammates. That may come later.
Donald’s contract is an additional hurdle to clear before he can officially return to the NFL. He has $30MM remaining on his last deal with the Rams, who have just $16.4MM in cap space, per Mark Maske of Front Office Sports. The two sides are expected to work out a revised deal should Donald decide to come back this year, but it is difficult to predict a dollar figure.
Talk of a Donald reunion intensified after Los Angeles traded for Myles Garrett in the spring, sending their Super Bowl odds skyrocketing and positioning the franchise for their best shot at a championship since Donald retired. Money, therefore, does not seem to be his sole (or even primary) motivation, but the Rams will still need to make it worth his while to return to the grueling schedule, physical demands, and mental toll of an NFL season.
