Aaron Donald says the comeback is already showing him what he wanted to see: the burst is still there.
At 35, Donald is heading back to the Rams after two years away from football, and he says the speed work has confirmed that he hasn’t fallen off. The bigger boost, he said, came from the man who has tracked him in drills for years.
“Everybody knows I kept myself in shape, lifting weights,” Donald said. “Conditioning, I did condition myself.
I did run full-speed on the treadmill. It was a little different transition to the grass again, running, cutting.
The first day I got to train with my speed trainer since high school, he looked and me and said, ‘You ain’t missed a step.’ That’s why it was important for me to work with a guy that’s known me been around me since Day One, since high school, just to get his advice of how I’m looking, what he’s thinking.”
That trainer is Dewayne Brown, who posted video a week ago of Donald going through the footwork drills that have been part of his NFL routine.
Donald said the three months he spent working out while weighing a return gave him the confidence he needed.
“A long process, but it was my process that I needed to do, to make myself feel like I could do it,” Donald said.
The Rams may not have to wait long to find out. Sean McVay said Donald could be on the field when Los Angeles opens the season against the 49ers in Australia on September 10.
In Other News...
Bengals Suddenly Have A Week 1 Concern Fans Didn't Want
Tee Higgins missed Wednesdays practice with a heel contusion, giving the Bengals a little early-season unease as they turn toward Week 1. The expectation inside the building is still that Higgins will be ready for the opener, but any absence involving one of Joe Burrows top targets is enough to get attention this close to the start of the season.
JaMarr Chase also sat out with a hyperextended knee, though he is anticipated to play in the opener as well. Both injuries came during preseason activities, which makes this more of a timing issue than a long-term alarm, but Cincinnati would obviously prefer to get through the final stretch of preparations without any more setbacks for its receiving corps. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals May Have Found A Real Swing Tackle Option Already
The Bengals finished filling out their 16-player practice squad by adding offensive tackle Blake Freeland, cornerback Trikweze Bridges and defensive end Garmon Randolph, but Freeland is the name that stands out for the line. A former BYU standout and 2023 fourth-round pick of the Colts, the 25-year-old arrives with real NFL experience after appearing in 16 games and making nine starts as a rookie.
For Cincinnati, the appeal is obvious at a spot where depth can disappear quickly. Freeland also logged 153 preseason snaps recently, giving the Bengals another look at a player who could fit as a swing tackle if needed, and his addition at least gives the organization a viable option to develop while the rest of the roster settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals May Be Repeating A Risky Contract Mistake Again
A familiar Bengals question is starting to surface again as the team weighs when to get a deal done for one of its key players. An NFL insider raised concerns that Cincinnati could be risking the same kind of contract timing issue it has faced before, with salary cap pressure potentially nudging the club toward a delay instead of moving early. For a team that has spent plenty of time trying to keep its core intact, the decision carries added weight.
The backdrop matters because Cincinnati is also sorting through injury updates and hearing more from players about where the team stands heading into the next stretch. Those little signals can shape how urgently the front office wants to act, especially when the roster outlook and the cap sheet are both in play. The bigger question now is whether the Bengals will treat this as a routine offseason negotiation, or as another one of those moments where waiting too long could make the outcome more complicated. [Read more 🡒]