One Last Ride

NFC West quarterbacks, look away. Your worst nightmare just came true.

After agreeing to a one-year, $20 million contract on Sunday, star defensive tackle Aaron Donald is coming out of retirement to return to play for the Los Angeles Rams.

As recently as May 2025, Donald was happily retired, telling a local radio station in Pittsburgh, "As far as playing football, I don't miss it. I don't even have the passion or excitement to want to play football.” But a little more than one year later, the Rams acquired pass rusher Myles Garrett in a trade from the Cleveland Browns and Donald had a sudden change of heart.

And why wouldn’t he?

Even before Donald’s return, the Rams were already seen as the betting favorites to win Super Bowl LXI at multiple gambling shops. With Sean McVay calling plays, reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford under center, a top-5 wide receiver in Puka Nacua on one side and the NFL’s active leader in touchdown receptions in Davante Adams on the other, Los Angeles has all the makings of the NFL’s best offense. But with AD back in the fold, the Rams’ defense could be even better than their offense.

Former All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie would be the headliner on most teams, but he’s something of an afterthought on this unit. When the Rams walk out on the field, all eyes will be their defensive line. With Donald and Garrett as the headliners, the Rams will be trotting out a dynamic duo along their defensive front with 236.5 combined sacks, 47 combined forced fumbles, and 5 combined Defensive Player of the Year awards. For context, the Rams are the only team in NFL history to enter the season with multiple players who have won multiple DPOY awards.

If these Rams were a basketball team, they’d be the 1992 Dream Team.

The only problem with a team this loaded? Anything less than a Super Bowl championship would be a wild disappointment.

Immediately after Donald announced his retirement in 2024, San Francisco 49ers pass rusher Nick Bosa applauded him for getting out when he did. Bosa said, ‘(Donald) did it the right way. He was the best in the game for 10 years, then called it quits – got out

healthy. That’s what everybody’s dream is.” If Donald comes out of retirement only to get bounced out in the Wild Card round of the playoffs - or worse, can’t even finish the season due to injury – this whole thing would feel like a massive waste of time.

Thankfully for the rest of us, Donald has never been one to run from expectations. On the contrary, he welcomes pressure almost as much as he creates it himself. In fact, Donald openly admitted during his introductory press conference that the Super Bowl being back at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles played a role in his decision.

The greatest defensive player of his generation is back for one last ride. 

Let’s go make history.