McVay says Donald 'looked outstanding' in workout
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- Aaron Donald, the 35-year-old defensive tackle who retired in March 2024 after spending his entire 10-year career with the Rams, was listed on the NFL transaction wire Wednesday for a 'tryout' with Los Angeles
- Donald worked out at Loyola Marymount University on a training camp off day alongside defensive line coach Giff Smith and team performance staff Reggie Scott and Justin Lovett
- Sean McVay called the session 'outstanding' for Donald but described the transaction-wire listing as 'kind of semantical' so Donald could legally use team equipment under the CBA
- McVay said Donald will not do another team workout but has 'other plans that he'll be able to do offsite on his own' as he weighs whether to come back
- McVay said no specific benchmarks are required for a return, noting Donald 'has earned the right to be able to say how he feels' and that the two 'probably talk every day'
- McVay previously indicated that if Donald returns the three-time Defensive Player of the Year would be 'all-in,' but the coach said he still has no answer on a timeline
Why it matters: A Donald return would hand a Rams defense its three-time Defensive Player of the Year again 16 months after his retirement, but McVay is keeping the process open-ended — Donald controls the call, McVay said, because 'he has earned the right to be able to say how he feels.' The team's 2025 plans have been built without him; plugging him back in midstream is a decision only Donald can make.
