Aaron Donald has been back on an NFL practice field for only a few days, but the Los Angeles Rams legend already has a very clear idea of where he wants this comeback to go. The 35-year-old defensive lineman returned after two seasons away from football and is now trying to determine whether his body is ready for the Rams’ season opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne.
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Speaking to reporters Monday, Donald sounded encouraged by how quickly football has started to come back to him. Nick Hamilton via Nitecast Media captured the comments and shared the video on X.
“Even with my first day out there with 11 on 11, I thought things would be a little all over the place, but settled in. A couple of players a little rusty. It ain’t to where I want to be, but it’s pretty damn good,” Donald said.
Donald made those comments after officially rejoining the Rams on August 30, describing his approach as something he’s taking day by day, building a game plan rather than rushing to declare himself ready. Every word of it read less like a retired legend easing back in and more like a player angling to convince his own head coach he’s fit to travel.
Head coach Sean McVay struck a similarly encouraged, if still noncommittal, tone when discussing Donald’s physical progress.
“He’s feeling good. Been hitting some high-speed yards at a really good clip, and when we get back out there, it’ll be fun to have him.”
The numbers alone tell you how high the bar is for Donald. In 10 seasons with the Rams, he piled up 111 sacks, 543 tackles, 176 tackles for loss, and 24 forced fumbles, while making 10 straight Pro Bowls, earning eight First-Team All-Pro selections, winning three Defensive Player of the Year awards, and making the game-sealing stop in Super Bowl LVI.
“Yes, I did not play football in two years. To be moving how I’m moving, like I said, there’s really no drop off. It’s not where I want to be because I can see it and I know there’s things that I want to clean up and I’m going to clean up. And the more reps I do, the more I play, it’ll get there, but yeah, it’s still good.”
That’s really what this comes down to. Donald feels good, but he knows he’s not quite where he wants to be yet. He also isn’t hiding the fact that he wants to play. The timing makes it even more interesting, with the Rams set to open the season against the 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. For now, though, the final call still belongs to McVay.
The travel plan adds its own layer of uncertainty on top of Donald’s own readiness. Los Angeles is running its full week of preparation at home in Woodland Hills before flying to Melbourne less than 48 hours ahead of kickoff, the opposite of San Francisco’s approach of training on-site all week. McVay explained why the team is sticking with that plan regardless of Donald’s situation.
“The thinking in its simplest form is, what do we deem the best for our football players, and for them to try to be at their best? There are different approaches and theories, but I do have a lot of trust in our group, and we’ll see.”
Donald’s return was already one of the Rams’ biggest offseason surprises, and pairing him with Myles Garrett could make their front even scarier. Donald will travel to Australia, but McVay still has the final say on whether he plays against the 49ers, and Donald clearly wants to show he’s ready.