Ian Rapoport’s latest update on Aaron Donald is the kind of news that can make Cowboys fans groan before the season even gets rolling.
The Los Angeles Rams already made a major splash this offseason, and now there’s another heavyweight development hanging over the league. Per Rapoport, a return to football for future Hall of Fame defensive lineman Aaron Donald is a “real possibility.” If that happens, the Rams could be loading up in a way that changes the entire NFC picture.
That’s not exactly the kind of thing Dallas wanted to hear after missing out on two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. The Cowboys were never shy about being linked to premium pass rushers, and Garrett - a Texan himself - would have fit the kind of aggressive move Jerry Jones has been known to flirt with. Instead, that door stayed shut, and now the Rams may be the team cashing in on another all-time great.
The nightmare scenario gets worse if Donald ends up back in Los Angeles alongside Garrett. The source of the concern is obvious: offensive lines would be dealing with a brutal combination, and Dallas is already in a spot where its front could be tested.
The Cowboys’ offensive line was ranked in the middle of the pack, and a Garrett return alone would be enough to make life miserable for Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele. Add Donald to the mix, and that’s a problem no line wants to see on the schedule.
And the Rams wouldn’t be starting from scratch up front, either. Braden Fiske is still there after posting 8.5 sacks in his rookie season, though he had a bit of a down year in 2025. That gives Los Angeles another piece already in place if Donald decides to come back and join the rush.
Donald retired at the end of the 2023 season at age 32, and he’s now 35. His resume already speaks for itself: Super Bowl champion, three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and eight-time All-Pro First Team selection. He also brought a rare kind of violence to the line of scrimmage, with his explosive first step and relentless motor making him one of the toughest players in football to deal with.
Now the idea of him teaming up with another two-time DPOY winner and an MVP quarterback on the other side only raises the stakes. For Dallas, that means the path through the NFC could get even more crowded.
The Cowboys were hoping to keep building on their own defensive progress, but a Donald comeback would shift the pressure back onto offensive lines across the league. Dallas wouldn’t be the only team feeling it, but that doesn’t make it any easier to swallow. If Rapoport’s update turns into reality, the Rams could become a bigger obstacle for the Cowboys’ NFC Championship hopes than ever.
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