What started as a rumor following the Myles Garrett trade has finally materialized, with Aaron Donald returning to play for the Los Angeles Rams in the 2026 season. When he will play his first game, however, remains a big question, considering Donald hasn’t played in two years. When head coach Sean McVay was asked about the possibility of Donald not playing in Week 1, McVay said:

“Oh, yeah, absolutely. That could be a possibility. I wouldn’t rule anything out yet.”

That has sparked a debate about whether Donald would travel to Australia and play against the San Francisco 49ers in the Rams’ season opener. Mike Florio and Chris Simms recently chimed in to address the veteran defensive tackle’s situation in LA. And while discussing the situation, both believed that even if Donald plays, his presence will be limited against the 49ers.

“He’s (Donald) going to be on, he’s going to be off, he’s going to be working, he’s not going to be working,” said Florio. “They’re trying to get him ready to go out there and be able to take however many snaps they have in mind for him if he plays in Australia in just 8 days from now.”

Donald signed a one-year, $20 million deal to return to the Rams, officially ending his retirement. The playoff incentives could take his contract to $30 million, per ESPN‘s Adam Schefter. Subsequently, he participated in practice on Sunday, taking part in individual drills.

At that time, coach McVay admitted that the Rams are still figuring out how they will handle Donald’s practice schedule, considering the 35-year-old did not participate in the offseason program.

However, things escalated on Monday when Donald did not participate in practice. Per coach McVay, Donald’s absence from practice “was part of the plan all along.” That prompted Chris Simms to note that if Donald travels to Australia, there is a chance that either the Rams don’t play him at all or limit him to just third-down packages.

“I sit here after that right there and then not hearing he didn’t practice or do anything yesterday, where I just go, ‘Okay, I’d like to reevaluate how many snaps I think he’ll play.’ Now, I’m at a point where I think it’s third downs,” said Simms. “If he plays, it’s only third downs. I’m not sure if he’ll play at all in this first one.

“We’re a week out as of today, or eight days, excuse me, for their game. Eight days out. He hasn’t played 11-on-11 football. So, if Aaron Donald is out there in Australia, yes, I think it’s going to be extremely limited third-down packages only. I think there’s a possibility that he doesn’t play at all and just gets himself in football shape here.”

That said, the Rams will open their regular season against the 49ers in about a week in Australia. While Aaron Donald’s return has certainly bolstered their defense, it remains to be seen whether Donald’s much-awaited return will come in Week 1 or whether we will have to wait a couple of weeks to see him in action once again.