Aaron Donald works out with Rams after Garrett trade
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- Aaron Donald worked out with the Los Angeles Rams on Wednesday at their training camp facility — the closest thing to official practice participation since his retirement at the end of the 2023 season.
- Donald participated without pads but wore a football helmet and used team equipment, prompting the Rams to report his activity on the NFL's transaction wire.
- Donald said in June that the Rams' trade for star edge rusher Myles Garrett "for sure got me thinking" about a return and that at 35 he wants to see if "that fire can light back up."
- The Rams could reasonably progress to signing Donald and integrating him into training camp in the coming weeks if the workout checks out, though a midseason debut rather than a Week 1 return may be the preferred scenario given the strain of a 17-game slate after two years away.
- Pairing Donald — a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and perennial first-team All-Pro — with Garrett would add another elite pass rusher to a defensive front that already ranks among the most formidable in the NFL.
- Donald retired on his own terms after the 2023 season, closing his career with a first-team All-Pro campaign that included eight sacks and 16 tackles for loss.
Why it matters: The Rams' defensive front — already among the NFL's most formidable after the Myles Garrett trade — would gain another three-time Defensive Player of the Year in Donald, even if he doesn't rejoin until midseason. For Donald, the workout is a two-year audit on whether a Hall of Fame-caliber body can still absorb NFL punishment after stepping away on his own terms.
