Aaron Donald’s long-awaited decision on whether he’ll come out of retirement and rejoin the Los Angeles Rams is still coming — just not quite as fast as it looked a few days ago. According to NBC Sports’ Mike Florio, the target for Donald’s call has slipped from earlier this week to the end of this week.
That’s the latest twist in a saga that’s been building since June, when the Rams landed reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett in a trade. The move got Donald thinking. He hasn’t played since 2023 and walked away from football in March 2024, but the idea of lining up next to Garrett clearly stuck with him.
Donald Puts Himself Through the Wringer
Donald didn’t just show up and jog through drills. He worked out at Loyola Marymount University this past Tuesday in full football gear, helmet included, under the eyes of Rams defensive line coach Giff Smith, senior VP of sports medicine Reggie Scott and strength coach Justin Lovett. Because he used team equipment, the session had to be logged with the league — the Rams listed it on the transaction wire as a formal tryout.
McVay didn’t hold back on how it looked. “Best tryout we’ve ever had,” he told reporters on NFL.com’s “NFL Daily.”
Two days later, speaking with reporters again, McVay struck a more measured tone. He praised what he saw but stopped short of saying Donald’s ready. “He’s very deliberate and intentional about what this looks like,” McVay said, per ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. “Things are going in the right direction. He’s feeling good, but we’re not to where we are able to say whether or not he is or isn’t ready to do it. But he’s doing great, and he looked outstanding, as I think all of us would expect.”
McVay also confirmed Donald won’t do another workout with the team before deciding. From here, it’s on Donald. “He has some other plans that he’ll be able to do off-site on his own,” McVay said.
What a Return Would Actually Look Like
If Donald says yes, the Rams already know how they’d manage him. It’s the same playbook they used to ease him back after his contract holdouts in 2017 and 2018 — a gradual ramp-up rather than throwing a 35-year-old who’s been away from the game for two years straight into a full workload.
Per Yardbarker’s reporting of Florio’s sourcing, the plan calls for a few weeks of football activity in a team setting before Donald plays in a game. The goal, if he’s on the roster, is 30 to 40 snaps in Week 1 against the 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, on September 10 — well below the 50-60 snaps he used to log in his prime.
That’s realistic largely because of the depth L.A. has built up the defensive line. Garrett’s arrival alone changes the math on how much any one player, even Donald, needs to carry.
| Category | Aaron Donald (career) | 2026 plan if he returns |
|---|---|---|
| Typical snap count | 50-60 per game | 30-40 per game |
| Last game played | 2023 season | Potential Week 1, Sept. 10, vs. 49ers |
| Ramp-up model | Full training camp | 2017/2018 holdout-style ramp-up |
McVay: Donald Has Earned the Right to Take His Time
Throughout this process, McVay has been careful not to pressure Donald either way. Asked whether he needed to see anything specific before signing off on a return, McVay’s answer was blunt: “No.”
“He has earned the right to be able to say how he feels,” McVay said. “I mean, I obviously saw the workout. I’ve been seeing the things that he’s been doing. He and I probably talk every day.”
That daily contact matters. McVay has said in the past that if Donald comes back, the Rams will be “all-in” on integrating him — but he’s also made clear this is Donald’s call to make on his own timeline, not the team’s.
Why the Delay Isn’t a Red Flag
A shift from “early this week” to “end of this week” isn’t a sign talks have stalled. Given what’s actually being decided — a 35-year-old three-time Defensive Player of the Year weighing whether his body can hold up to another NFL season — a few extra days of caution tracks. Florio’s reporting frames it as Donald simply wanting more time before, as he put it, “taking the pigskin plunge.”
The Rams have already been through their deepest playoff run since their Super Bowl LVI win, reaching the NFC Championship Game last season. They enter 2026 with Garrett and cornerback Trent McDuffie freshly added to the roster. Donald’s return would push an already-loaded defense into rarefied territory. His decision to stay retired would change nothing about a roster that’s clearly built to contend regardless.
