The Los Angeles Rams are at Aaron Donald’s mercy.
And yet, they are by no means in dire straits, thanks to savvy roster building and a strong coaching staff headed by Sean McVay.
Still, the Rams continue to wait as commentary about Donald’s pending decision continues to draw strong comments from the NFL world, including former teammates like Rams Super Bowl champion and ex-teammate Rob Havenstein.
Rapoport: Rams Can Wait for Aaron Donald
GettyAaron Donald could see a significant amount of snaps for the Rams in Week 1.
McVay has been clear about several things regarding Donald: that the Rams want him back, that he hopes for a resolution sooner rather than later, and that he will not push the 10-time Pro Bowler to make a decision.
He essentially dug in on those items amid an explanation for Donald’s most recent workout at the Rams’ facilities, his second official visit.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport explained that the Rams are being patient because they can.
“There might be another workout because, … what Aaron Donald needs to know is, can he do it? Can he play, let’s say, on a Sunday and come back on a Thursday like he used to do when he was 26, 27, 28? But he’s 35 now. And the Rams have been pretty open about all this. Sean McVay has. He has said there’s no real deadline for him,” Rapoport told Mike Garafolo and Judy Batista on “The Insiders” on August 17.
“That is true, and the reason why is a couple of things. First of all, this is a luxury for the Rams. They are already stacked; they already are one of the, if not the, most talented teams in the NFL, across the defensive line and across their roster. They don’t need Aaron Donald.”
The Rams loaded up on defense this offseason, trading for Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie and signing Jaylen Watson in free agency while retaining most every other starter.
Still, “They would take him,” Rapoport said of the Rams’ stance regarding Donald.
“For sure, they would like to have him, especially if he’s going to look at the Aaron Donald of old. But they don’t need him, and they don’t need to make a big roster move or do something significant salary-wise.
“If Aaron Donald decides–if he decides–they’ll say, ‘Okay, fine.’ Adjust his salary–maybe, maybe not–and move on. They really are on his time frame going forward.”
Sean McVay Explains Aaron Donald’s Latest Workout
GettySean McVay downplayed the significance of Aaron Donald’s second official workout.
Donald’s visit with the Rams crossed the transaction wire for a second time. McVay explained that it was not a sign of anything other than the ongoing process.
“That’s what it was: just a workout,” McVay told reporters on August 17.
“I’m not trying to be coy with it. It’s semantical. It’s part of his process that he’s gone through. It just allows us to be able to use football equipment, and it’s very similar to what the other workout was. And so, he’s continuing to go through his process, which there’s a lot of things that you try to mimic and emulate game-like settings and situations to be able to get clarity on whether he wants to do this or not, and that was just another part of this process.”
Asked if team personnel again ran the session, McVay said, “There was team personnel. He’s been going through a very–it was just because it took place here… and some of the equipment. So, that was kind of what it entailed.”
Notably, Donald’s wife, Erica Donald, joked about her husband pump-faking the Rams every few days about returning.
Aaron Donald’s Former Teammate Sends Clear Message
GettyFormer Rams teammate Andrew Whitworth and Rob Havenstein are both sure Aaron Donald can still be an impact player.
Former Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth has already admitted that he has tried to urge Donald to return. Whitworth’s former bookend, Rams Super Bowl champion Rob Havenstein–who retired this offseason–believes Donald can still wreck shop.
ESPN’s Damien Woody, another retired offensive lineman, said he is glad to be in his post-playing era amid Donald’s potential return and team-up with Garrett.
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky concurred with that sentiment.
All of it is just speculation at this point, though. Donald has not given the Rams a firm answer, at least not one acknowledged publicly. That has left the door open for the rumor mill to continue churning.
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