Aaron Donald, the all-pro defensive tackle who led the Los Angeles Rams to a Super Bowl title in 2022, will come out of retirement and return to the team this season, the Rams announced Sunday.
The 35-year-old Donald retired prior to the 2024 season, but announced earlier this summer that he was considering a comeback, leading to a couple of workouts with the team in August under the supervision of head coach Sean McVay.
The Rams did not disclose details of his contract, but ESPN and the NFL Network both reported that it was a one-year, $20 million deal with playoff incentives that could raise the total value of the deal to $30 million.
Donald was one of the most dominating defensive lineman in NFL history during his 10 seasons with the Rams, recording 111 sacks, 24 forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries.
He is one of three players in NFL history to have won the Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award three times — 2017, 2018 and 2020.
He was named to the Pro Bowl in every one of his 10 seasons, earned eight first-team All-Pro honors, and is one of three players named a unanimous selection to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, along with Tom Brady and J.J. Watt.
Donald was drafted in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft by the then-St. Louis Rams, who took him with the 13th overall pick. He played his college football at the University of Pittsburgh.
If Donald can even approach his previous level of play, his return could give the Rams a devastating pair of pass rushers. The team acquired reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett on June 1.
Garrett, 30, set the NFL’s single-season record for sacks last year with 23, and was voted the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year for the second time. He added a league-leading 33 tackles for loss.