On Sunday, Aaron Donald had his second workout of the summer with the Los Angeles Rams, which has added to speculation that he will come out of retirement in the near future.
On Monday, NFL Insider Ian Rapoport revealed on “Good Morning Football” the reason why Donald keeps having workouts with the team — which are reported as “official” workouts because the Rams great used certain equipment at the team facility.
“What happened again is, Aaron Donald put on some helmets, put on some pads, and worked out for the Rams,” Rapoport said.
Rapoport added that these workouts are essentially “tryouts” for the Rams, adding that Donald is “really just going through the process” to see how his body reacts and acclimates.
If everything goes the way Donald is hoping, Rapoport said, it would appear likely that the former three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year would return to football. Donald, 35, played for the Rams from 2014-2023 before announcing his retirement.
Aside from having official workouts with the team, Donald has been active on social media this offseason. He’s posted multiple videos of himself working out. Earlier this month, he was seen doing football-style drills at UCLA’s practice facility.
“The Rams have been very vocal about saying they do not have a timeframe for Aaron Donald,” Rapoport said. “…It really doesn’t have to be anytime. It has to be whenever Aaron Donald wants. No doubt the team will welcome him with open arms if he decides to play.”
After the Rams’ 20-12 preseason-opening victory against the Kansas City Chiefs, head coach Sean McVay said the team would gladly welcome Donald back.
Rams defensive end Myles Garret, who was the Rams’ big offseason acquisition, said he doesn’t want to push Donald out of retirement, but thinks the two can do “great things together” on the football field.
