Aaron Donald worked out with the Los Angeles Rams on Wednesday, according to ClutchPoints. The workout has fans and reporters alike bracing for an official announcement. Donald hasn’t signed anything yet. He’s still working through his own process before committing to a comeback.
NFL insider Albert Breer thinks that comeback is coming. Breer joined “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” and laid out a specific timeline for when the 35-year-old defensive tackle might rejoin the Rams.
“I don’t think it’ll happen before [the Rams] break camp at Loyola Marymount [University],” Breer said on the show. “I believe they go back in a couple days, and I think after that, next week, I think all of this is in play.”
Breer didn’t stop there. He described a working relationship between Donald and head coach Sean McVay that goes beyond casual speculation.
“I do think he’s coming back. He and McVay are very close… They’ve actually come up with a plan for what it’s going to look like if and when he does come back.”
Colin Cowherd and Albert Breer discussed Donald’s potential return on X:
"I do think he's coming back. He and McVay are very close. They've actually come up with a plan for what it's going to look like if and when he does come back."@colincowherd and @AlbertBreer discuss Aaron Donald returning to the Rams pic.twitter.com/aAW04Im0Tx
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) August 5, 2026
Why the Timeline Points to Late Camp
Donald hasn’t played a snap since the 2023-24 season. That layoff matters. Based on Breer’s comments, he and McVay appear to be managing the return deliberately rather than rushing him back onto the field. Camp breaks at Loyola Marymount University in the coming days, and Breer’s framing suggests the real decision point lands sometime after that.
McVay has been consistent in public about how much this is Donald’s call. Speaking to reporters when players reported to training camp, McVay said Donald is “going through his process” and described it as “a very strict, regimented process” similar to what Donald did during his playing days — testing how his body responds before deciding anything, according to the Rams’ official site.
A Reduced Role, Not a Full-Time Comeback
Breer also addressed usage. He told Cowherd that the Rams’ depth on the defensive line means Donald wouldn’t need to be an every-down player, a point echoed elsewhere in the buildup to camp, according to ClutchPoints. The Rams added Myles Garrett this offseason, giving the front seven another elite pass rusher and taking pressure off Donald to log heavy snap counts.
That opens the door to a closer-style role early in the season, with his workload potentially expanding if Los Angeles is still playing meaningful football in December and January.
What Donald Did the Last Time He Suited Up
The numbers below are from Donald’s final season, 2023, his last full year on the field.
| Category | 2023 Total |
|---|---|
| Combined Tackles | 53 (28 solo) |
| Tackles for Loss | 16 |
| Sacks | 8 |
| All-Pro Honor | First-Team (8th career selection) |
Those numbers earned him his eighth First-Team All-Pro nod, closing out a decade in which he redefined what an interior defensive lineman could do to a game plan.
The Bigger Picture
Nothing here is official. Donald hasn’t signed, the Rams haven’t announced anything, and even Breer’s report is a prediction built on reporting and relationships, not a confirmed transaction. Treat it accordingly. But the pieces are lining up: a workout on the books, a head coach describing an active process, and now an insider with a specific window for when it could happen.
If the timeline holds, the loudest offseason storyline in Los Angeles could have an answer within the next couple of weeks.
