Most NFL players don’t really retire when they leave the game.
They usually leave because injuries have ended their career or age has caught up with them or their teams cut them.
Aaron Donald is the exception.
He retired two years ago in 2024 after a 10-year career during which he was such a dominant player that he is destined to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer even though he still seemed to have something left in the tank at age 33.
But things changed when the Rams traded for the best pass rusher in the game during the offseason, Myles Garrett. After two years in retirement, Donald got the itch again at the thought of playing in the line with Garrett and taking another shot at a Super Bowl ring at age 35.
Although he has started working out and even made a visit to the Rams facility, it doesn’t appear to be an easy decision for Donald. According to ESPN, he won’t be at the opening of training camps as he thinks about his decision and decides if he can get in football shape after a two-year absence from the game.
The Rams, of course, will be patient. They know what he could mean for them, and they should be able to work out the contract details.
So what will Donald decide? Yes or No? It is one of the biggest questions in the league as teams open camp.
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