The Los Angeles Rams, and specifically head coach Sean McVay, continue to roll the red carpet out for Aaron Donald, but one former NFL Pro Bowler believes that could disrupt the situation for newly-acquired star Myles Garrett.
That Donald’s potential fit alongside Garrett will be good has been viewed as a given. Another Pro Bowler believes the Rams legend’s interest in a return is reason enough to do it.
However, amid other potential hurdles, the Rams have yet to secure an answer on Donald.
Aaron Donald Urged to Make Comeback Official
GettyAaron Donald has received some strong messages about potentially returning to the Los Angeles Rams.
Donald’s actions amid the speculation about his potential return to the Rams has former NFL Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil arguing that he should follow through. Kalil, a second-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in the 2007, unretired in 2019 to join the New York Jets.
He had only spent one offseason retired, not two-plus like Donald has.
Moreover, his Jets stint did not go well. Still, Kalil said the decision gave him a level of finality he would not have had otherwise.
“I know his process very well. Every player goes through this. If you’re lucky enough to where you get to play a long time and get to hang it up on your own terms, that’s great. But even then, it’s still hard. And I know for myself, I played 12 years in Carolina and, just the body felt run down. I felt like I did everything I could,” Kalil said on “Good Morning Football” on July 27.
“When I got back here to the West Coast, I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. And then I started calling guys, and I’m sure he’s getting the same advice, which is ‘You’ll know when.’ And the advice that I got was ‘If you’re still thinking about it, you’re still considering playing, you should absolutely go back. Because you’ll never get that opportunity ever again. That window is so short,’ and that’s what I felt.”
Kalil added “That season didn’t really go great, but it did give me the closure I needed. I got to come back, and I for sure knew I was done. So, my advice to Aaron would be, if you’re still thinking about it, you should absolutely come back.”
“I know, selfishly, we would all love to see that.”
However, former San Francisco 49ers tight end and Tennessee Titans Pro Bowler Delanie Walker believes Donald could disrupt the apple cart.
“If I’m Myles Garrett, I’m like, ‘Cuz, stay your a** at home,’” Walker told Will Compton and former Ram Clay Matthews in a clip from “Bussin’ With The Boys” posted on X on July 27. “This my team. Let me do my thing.”
Garrett has openly embraced the idea of Donald returning.
Moreover, the Rams’ trade for Garrett is what has Donald exploring the possibility of returning to the field after a two-year absence.
Former Teammates Get Honest About Aaron Donald
GettyAaron Donald’s former teammates expect him to be fully invested if he returns.
Compton noted that the Rams are welcoming Donald with open arms if he wants to return in response to Walker’s assertion. He noted that Garrett drawing attention will only benefit Donald.
Matthews, though, noted that the Rams cannot try to limit Donald if he returns.
“How are you gonna show up, ‘Hey, we’re gonna rush you on third down, you’re gonna play 60% of the snaps–40 to 60% of the snaps.’ He’s that guy mentally, when I was there with him. The way he works out, the way he approached with the game, he’s going to do that. That’s gonna be hard to take a step back and be like, … ‘How do you talk about me as if I’m not that guy anymore?’” Matthews said.
“Let’s just say he gets 6 to 10 sacks, and has a Pro Bowl year. He’s always been that guy, that’s the part. Whereas, the mentality of an athlete of an elite athlete to switch that back on has got to be the hardest thing for him.”
Ex-Rams running back Todd Gurley, another former teammate, also belelieves Donald will return fully committed or not at all.
“One thing about Aaron Donald is if he’s gonna do it, he’s gonna put his all. Most people be like, ‘Ah, I’ll come back for some money.’ Because if it was about the money, he would have never retired. I just don’t see him half-assed or anything,” Gurley said in a clip from “Uninterrupted” that was shared on X on July 27.
“People would be like, ‘Come back in December’ or, ‘We just need you for a couple of games. Nah, AD would want to be there from the beginning all the way to the end.”
Aaron Donald’s Potential Return Among NFL’s Biggest Storylines
GettyAaron Donald is one of the biggest storylines in the NFL two years after his retirement.
Donald has stolen headlines for the Rams since first hinting at a potential return, but the national media is paying attention, too. Former NFL linebacker Manti Te’o weighed in.
Te’o noted on “GMFB” on July 27 that some opposing players are hoping that Donald doesn’t return, but also noted that he does not expect that to happen if the lineman does not feel 100% “confident” he can live up to his standard.
“He’s not just gonna go up there and be a participant, okay. He’s not just going to go up there to be the shadow of Myles Garrett,” Te’o said. “This is Aaron Donald’s team. He’s not gonna be a big contributor. He’s trying to be the main contributor. Because when he did play, he was that guy, and I don’t think he comes back if he isn’t that guy.”
Te’o cited the difficulty of his recent workout on the Rams’ practice field, and the difference between that and his workouts at the team’s facilities in the past since his retirement.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio noted the “conundrum” Donald faces.
There is a chance that Donald returns and he is not the same player that he once was, which, when combined with the possibility that the Rams fall short of the Super Bowl, could be devastating.
At the same time, Florio believes Donald could still be impactful for the Rams even in a diminished state. That is thanks to Garrett drawing attention.
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