Sean McVay isn’t rushing Aaron Donald, and he’s making that clear.
After the Rams beat the Kansas City Chiefs in preseason action Saturday, the Los Angeles head coach said he’s not attaching any kind of hard stop to Donald’s possible NFL return. Donald retired after the 2023 season, but the former All-Pro is still weighing whether to come back.
"I'm hopeful that it will be sooner than later, but I also want to respect when he does feel like that clarity will come," McVay told reporters Saturday after the Rams' preseason win over the Kansas City Chiefs, including the Los Angeles Times' Gary Klein. "I think there's a chance that we'll be closer to that than not. But again, I don't want to say too much or put some sort of invisible deadline on something that doesn't exist in my mind for him."
McVay said he and Donald have had "great dialogue" as the defensive star continues to work out at the Rams’ facilities and stay in top shape while he considers a reunion.
The 35-year-old Donald remains one of the biggest names in the mix, and McVay made it sound like the Rams are willing to let the process play out. NFL teams have to trim rosters from 90 players to 53 by Aug. 30, but McVay said he doesn’t want to force the issue.
He said Donald has "earned that right to have clarity" about whether to resume his career.
At the same time, McVay stressed that Los Angeles is in a good place either way.
"I feel great about our football team as it currently stands, and I know he'll add value if he decides to come," McVay said.
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For Los Angeles, Simpsons showing is the kind of development worth tracking as the preseason rolls on, especially with every snap helping separate real momentum from early noise. The same round of evaluations also knocked down a few notable names, including Tyrone Tracy, Tua Tagovailoa and Spencer Rattler, which only underscores how quickly perceptions can shift before the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]