Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald is known for his impressive sack ability. But according to a Packers legend, this had its downsides, too, at least for him. AD didn’t build his reputation without clawing for each of his 111.0 sacks and wanting more. Highlighting this never-ending hunger for getting sacks, Rams and Green Bay Packers legend Clay Matthews shared a hilarious story about Donald and how he effectively stole $250,000 from him in the process.

“My last year, the incentives go to old heads like me, and 19 when I was playing for the Rams, and it was a sack incentive,” Matthews said on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast. “So if I got three sacks, it was 250K, 6 sacks, it was 500K, 8 and a half, it was 750K. I finished the season at eight sacks, and I actually had eight and a half. Aaron Donald reported the sack we shared together. It was like for safety against the Steelers, so they gave it all to him, and I lost 250K.”

The sack Mathews spoke about was from a 2019 regular-season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Los Angeles Rams at Acrisure Stadium (known as Heinz Field back in the day). In the fourth quarter, the Steelers were pinned deep in their own zone when Donald and Clay Matthews combined for a sack on Mason Rudolph, bringing the quarterback down in the end zone for a safety.

Although the Rams suffered a 17-12 loss in that fixture, Aaron Donald, who was playing his first NFL game ever in his hometown of Pittsburgh, managed to turn his half-sack into one while recording four solo tackles and two tackles for loss. Donald also recalled this incident during an appearance on the Inner Circle podcast.

“That’s my safety. That’s my sack,” Donald said. “Like, how the hell they give me a half? We turned that in. They came back. Aaron, that’s your full safety set. I remember Clay Matthew talking about, ‘Bro, they took that sack away from me.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, for real? I ain’t no that’s messed up, man.’ ”

Clay did finish the game with one sack to his name, in addition to three tackles, but it wasn’t enough to claim the incentive. Later, the organization confirmed that it wouldn’t be giving the incentive to Mathews.

Incidents like these have been a hallmark of Aaron Donald’s illustrious career, where he likes to enjoy his funny moments, but when it comes to football, there’s no messing around with Number 99. To celebrate this defensive icon, the Los Angeles Rams planned a special night for Aaron Donald earlier this season.

The Rams honor Aaron Donald with a special bobblehead night

After announcing his retirement in March 2024, Aaron Donald received special recognition for his illustrious career with the Los Angeles Rams. The defense player retired with an impressive record and is currently ranked 33rd on the all-time sack list.

In his recognition, the franchise planned a special ceremony at SoFi Stadium. This event took place during the halftime of the Rams’ regular-season game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

During this special ceremony, the Rams gave out a limited-edition Aaron Donald Bobblehead for the first 60,000 fans, where the star defensive tackle is seen pointing to his ring finger as he did on the field in the Super Bowl after forcing a fourth-down incompletion to secure a 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Super Bowl 2022.

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The bobblehead also featured a small goat wearing Donald’s No. 99 jersey, a nod to the legendary defensive tackle’s “greatest of all time” status. Now, after this bobblehead night, the Pro Football Hall of Fame awaits Aaron Donald, who will be cemented as one of the greatest players in NFL history.