The thought of Aaron Donald lining up next to another defensive superstar had always been a fascinating one. Then, the Rams gave that idea a real chance to exist: Los Angeles brought in Myles Garrett, acquiring him from the Cleveland Browns. And when head coach Sean McVay called Donald to talk about bringing Garrett aboard, it changed something.
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Donald began imagining what it might be like to have another superstar commanding attention right beside him. No wonder the defensive tackle opted out of retirement, but truth be told, his wife gave him permission to do so.
“I let him out the house y’all 🤣 💙🫶🏾,” Donald’s wife, Erica, wrote on X as a joke.
So, the Rams just got a whole lot scarier. Aaron Donald is reportedly set to return to Los Angeles on a one-year, $20 million deal, giving a defense that was already among the league’s best another massive boost. He also brings ten years of experience and a resume featuring 117 sacks and 577 tackles. But it barely ends here.
He had already reached the top with a Super Bowl victory in 2021, then suffered an injury in 2022. After playing one more season, he felt ready to walk away. He left as a 10x Pro Bowler and 3X DPOY. Then Myles Garrett arrived in Los Angeles, and suddenly, retirement didn’t look quite so final. Reports of Donald’s interest in a comeback followed the Rams’ blockbuster move, setting up a potential pairing between two players who have combined for five of the last nine AP Defensive Player of the Year awards.
It looks like the Rams are going all-in for a Super Bowl, and Aaron Donald wants another run at lifting the Lombardi. And looking back in time, the NFL’s history might favor this pairing.
After all, this wouldn’t be the first time the NFL has put multiple Defensive Players of the Year under the same roof. Pittsburgh’s ‘Steel Curtain’ set that precedent decades ago.
‘Mean’ Joe Greene, the Steelers defensive tackle who won the 1972 AP DPOY award and helped the franchise capture four Super Bowl titles, eventually had company.
Greene, a two-time DPOY winner, shared the defense with cornerback Mel Blount, the 1975 honoree, and linebacker Jack Lambert, who took home the award in 1976. Together, Greene, Blount and Lambert became the standard for what a DPOY-heavy defense could look like. They won four Super Bowls with Pittsburgh.
The 49ers witnessed something similar in the 90s.
In 1994, Deion Sanders spent just one season in San Francisco but made it count, winning Defensive Player of the Year. Alongside him was defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield, a force in the middle who would earn his own DPOY honor three years later after piling up 15 sacks in 1997.
Other such pairings include Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs (Ravens), Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks (Buccaneers), and also Bryce Paup and Bruce Smith (Bills).
NFL history is filled with defenses that became legendary when elite talent collided. Garrett and Donald could be the next chapter in that story, and if they live up to their reputations, something special could be brewing in Los Angeles.
And Donald, for his part, is doing everything he can
When the Rams started training camp on July 25, Donald was already preparing for a possible comeback. Coach McVay also said Donald was following a “very strict, regimented process” to get his body ready and decide if he truly wanted to come back.
Plus, throughout the offseason, fans got viral visuals of Donald’s training drills throughout the offseason, which showed the veteran DT looking great. He had officially worked out for the Rams on August 5, and then returned for a second workout on August 16.
Schefter had reported that there were doubts about his return after Aaron Donald left the Rams’ office without confirming his plans, but two hours later, he announced his return.
Donald also shared the news on Instagram with a highlight reel that ended with shots from his Super Bowl win, while the Rams shared a picture of a signed letter from Donald that read, “Dear Commissioner Goodell, I’m back.”
Donald will join Garrett and young stars Byron Young, Kobie Turner, and Braden Fiske. With this solid team, the Rams are also preparing for their second Super Bowl under Sean McVay.