Aaron Donald is back.
According to several NFL insiders, the ten-time Pro Bowl selection is coming out of retirement to play for the Los Angeles Rams this season. As reported by Adam Schefter, Donald is signing a one-year deal for $20 million, that could be worth up to $30 million based on various incentives.
Donald last played for the Rams during the 2023 season, when. he recorded eight sacks and 53 total tackles. He led the NFL in sacks during the 2018 season with 20.5, when the Rams reached the Super Bowl.
Over his career he was a eight-time First-Team All-Pro, and he won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award back in 2014. He was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year three times, first in 2017 and again in 2018, before winning it one more time in 2020.
He announced his shocking retirement in March of 2024, stepping away from the game while still one of the premier defensive players in the league. The team honored Donald last November, during a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But with the Rams pulling off a stunning trade for Myles Garrett, another former Defensive Player of the Year, this offseason, the team now has two terrifying pass rushers along the defensive front.
The team shared the news on social media moments after the decision broke:
The Rams begin the 2026 season in Australia against the San Francisco 49ers.