Myles Garrett’s arrival is a game-changer for the franchise, pretty much making it a lock for the Super Bowl this season. The weight of this opportunity was not missed on Aaron Donald, who texted insider Jordan Schultz that he was “flirting” with the idea of returning to the NFL. However, six-time Pro Bowler Gerald McCoy thought that this might never end up happening.

“I have some insight. I don’t see it happening,” he told RotoGrinders’ Kyle Odegard. “When you take a person like Aaron Donald, or Barry Sanders, or even a Megatron [Calvin Johnson] — I’m using them because they stopped way before people expected them to. When you accomplish that much that early, you stop for a reason. He stopped playing because he knew the love he had to push through that grind was gone.”

McCoy added that Donald has achieved everything he could have possibly wanted to. The former defensive tackle is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year award winner, has been to 10 Pro Bowls, and has a Super Bowl ring. Donald is easily one of the greatest defenders the league has seen in its modern history. The idea of his return had wide receiver Cooper Kupp texting him (in jest) that he’s “not allowed” to do so.

Aaron Donald is 35 years old. That is the time when players hang up their cleats, not getting back into the game. But with Marshawn Lynch, Tom Brady, and Rob Gronkowski all having ‘unretired’ in their careers, the former defensive tackle could be expected to make a comeback. Plus, per a text Donald sent to Pat McAfee, the Myles Garrett got him “thinking” about the idea of returning.

Throughout his career, Donald never recorded a season with fewer than 40 total tackles. There was a dip in numbers in his injury-shortened 2022 season, which came right after the Rams won the Super Bowl and him posting a career-high 84 total tackles. However, Donald got back up to 53 tackles in 2023, his last in the NFL.

This is someone who used to terrorize offenses and was a nightmare for quarterbacks. In 2018, Donald racked up 20.5 sacks, his second consecutive year with sacks in the double digits. Three more such years followed. Arch rivals Seattle Seahawks were particularly tormented by Donald, as Russell Wilson became his top target. The former quarterback called him the “best defensive player” he’s ever played against.

The Rams have more than enough firepower in thier squad to win the Super Bowl this season. Reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford might play his last season, and the top brass saw an opportunity in Garrett. The Rams became the favorite to win the Super Bowl after the trade, with odds sitting at +500. But if Donald comes back to join this D-line, the league might as well just give the Lombardi trophy to Los Angeles.

Unlike McCoy, many still think Aaron Donald could return.

Aaron Donald’s comeback idea has “momentum,” per Adam Schefter

It’s been a month since Garrett was traded, and the situation has calmed down. But ESPN’s Adam Schefter thought the door is still open in Los Angeles for the DT to return.

“They’d have to come up with a plan for him to bring him back,” he said on NFL Live Monday. “But where else right now would Aaron Donald be more wanted, more celebrated, more respected than in the Rams locker room, where Myles Garrett is already waiting for him? Again, no decision from Aaron Donald, and we’ll see whether the two sides can get it done, but there seems to be a lot of momentum to the idea that this is certainly possible.”

Head coach Sean McVay believed that even at 35, Aaron Donald could come back and play at a “pretty high clip.” The latter works out regularly and is still in shape. He would need some more training if he were to make all of this official. But Aaron Donald could still make a difference for the Rams if he came back.

Owning a Super Bowl ring is a luxury, and Aaron Donald already has one. He knows there’s a very good chance he can add another one to that collection. After all, two is always better than one.