Legendary defensive tackle Aaron Donald spent a decade terrorizing offenses for the Los Angeles Rams, and then walked away in March 2024, saying he was “burnt out” and had lost the “passion to play the game.” Two years later, head coach Sean McVay is still fielding questions about bringing him back, and not everyone thinks that’s a good idea.

“He is going through his process,” McVay said in a recent presser. “He is putting himself in a position to make a decision and he’s earned the right to be able to do that. … If that is something he wants to do, we’re going to try to make that happen.”

That answer landed The Odd Couple, where host Rob Parker expressed his disappointment.

“It’s going to be a mistake. Shame on Aaron Donald to even go this route,” Parker said. “It wasn’t that long ago he said he had lost passion for football. He loved the sport but had no interest in playing. And I don’t know what happened financially or something changed for him. I thought he had a beautiful exit from the NFL.

“You make a lot of money, you have your health, you walk away with a championship- anything you could ever ask for- and you see people come back, and most people come back, and it’s bad. It’s just always a bad ending. And you go, ‘Oh, maybe it would have been better off not to come back.’”

Parker’s frustration tracks with the football legacy Donald created on his way out. Ten Pro Bowls in ten seasons, eight First-team All-Pros, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, and even a championship ring from Super Bowl LVI. That’s not a resume with room to lose anything. The upside, however, is another Super Bowl ring, with the Rams heavily favored to be contenders this season. But on his podcast, Parker also pointed to the possible downside Donald might face if he returns.

“I know this is a team he’s already played for,” Parker added. “And the idea that they have this great roster and they’re going to win the Super Bowl, it’s automatic. Everybody’s already picking them to win and all that kind of stuff. I just hope it’s not one of those scenes where some terrible injury [occurs]. And I’m not putting it out there, but that’s what happens to a lot of people.

I think that Aaron could be messing up what I thought was a beautiful exit to the NFL.”

Phillip Rivers is the cautionary tale sitting in the record books already, though not because of any injury. Four years removed from the game, the 44-year-old quarterback unretired last season, played just three games for the Indianapolis Colts, losing all three. Four touchdowns and three picks later, all his unretirement did was mar his football legacy and push back his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction.

John Elway is the version Rob Parker wants people to remember instead. He won back-to-back Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos, had a team begging him to keep playing, and still said no.

Donald already had his ending when he said “I’m complete. I’m full,” standing in his childhood home in Pittsburgh, sounding like a man who meant it. But now, the entire argument comes down to one question: does Donald still believe his own words?