Aaron Donald Returns To Rams After 2-Year Retirement

LOS ANGELES — Aaron Donald is leaving retirement behind to rejoin the Rams, the team announced Sunday.

After two years in retirement with his family, 35-year-old Donald began to entertain the notion of a comeback after the Rams traded for Myles Garrett, one of Donald's few peers in contemporary defensive line play.

Donald has a one-year, $20 million deal with up to $30 million in playoff incentives, Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Sunday.

Donald's return adds another force to the Rams’ stacked roster as they attempt to win their second NFL title during coach Sean McVay’s successful decade in charge.

“After two seasons away, Donald now will join forces with Myles Garrett, giving the Rams two of the top defensive linemen in NFL history,” Schefter wrote in a post Sunday on X.

McVay confirmed July 25 that Donald was undergoing a strict and regimented process to potentially return, according to a story posted Sunday on the Rams website.

Donald became one of the greatest defensive players of his era during his first 10 seasons spent entirely with the Rams in St. Louis and Los Angeles. He won three AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards while earning 10 Pro Bowl selections, eight All-Pro selections and a Super Bowl ring before he retired somewhat abruptly in March 2024.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.