Aaron Donald made a triumphant return to SoFi Stadium on Friday, November 21, 2025, not as an active player but as the founder of the AD99 Foundation, hosting the inaugural “An Evening With Aaron Donald” fundraising gala.

The event brought together Fortune 100 companies, corporate executives, and community leaders to celebrate Donald’s extraordinary journey and support the foundation’s mission to empower underserved youth across Los Angeles and Pittsburgh.

The AD99 foundation posted a reel on Instagram captioning, “Huge thank you to our host, @sofistadium, and to all of our generous sponsors who helped make this night so special. We’re excited for everything ahead and the possibilities we’re building in both LA and Pittsburgh 🫡🤝🏾”

The video opened with an acknowledging statement from a background commentator: “Here at our first evening with Aaron Donald at SoFi Stadium.”

Donald himself addressed the significance of community support during the event: “You guys being here to mean the world to me, I appreciate it so much because it’s a cause that means a lot to me and my family.”

The AD99 Foundation was established in 2019 by Aaron and Erica Donald. It has operated as a Black-led and -serving organization, with roots deeply embedded in Pittsburgh’s underserved communities where Aaron grew up.

Erica Donald, the foundation’s co-founder and Donald’s wife, also highlighted the emotional weight of post-retirement public engagement.

“Thank you to all of our sponsors and all of our supporters for coming out. We are truly grateful to really just see, even after retirement especially, everybody’s still coming out to support us, to support Aaron, to support the causes, to support the expansion.”

The event offered tiered sponsorship opportunities ranging from $625 individual tickets to $25,000 Presenting Sponsor packages, with each level offering varying degrees of VIP access, recognition, and involvement.

Notably, the appearance has fueled speculation about a potential unretirement. Despite Donald already stating, “I just don’t love playing the game of football anymore.”

Aaron Donald shuts down comeback rumors

Last Wednesday, Aaron Donald met with reporters and provided unambiguous answers dismissing any comeback scenario.

Donald was directly asked, “Do you miss football?”

He answered, “No. To be honest with you, I never have had an itch after I retired to like, ‘I want to come back, I want to play football still.’ You miss things from the game, and for me, it’s not really playing the game. It’s being in the locker room, hanging with the guys, watching film, cracking jokes, more the camaraderie with the fellas.”​

Donald retired in March 2024 after 10 seasons with the Rams. Marking the end of an era with 10 Pro Bowl selections and 3 NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards.

When asked about staying occupied post-retirement, Donald listed multiple ventures: “I’ve got four kids and a wife, man. That, doing a lot of other things. Obviously with my Ready Nutrition company, our development company, a couple of things we working on in the film space, my (AD99) foundation. So a little bit of everything, honestly, man, just really staying busy.”

Notably, Rams head coach Sean McVay stated in December 2024 that he felt “like it would be disrespectful to approach” Donald about a potential return.

Donald’s return to SoFi wasn’t about football. If anything was made clear that night, it’s that his legacy is now in the lives he’s determined to lift.