The Rams brought Aaron Donald back on a one-year, $20 million deal, and the first thing to know is this: don’t expect the old workload.
After sitting out the last two seasons, Donald is back in Los Angeles, but insider James Palmer of “NFL on Prime” says the Rams are not planning to lean on him the way they once did. Palmer pointed to Donald’s final three seasons before retirement - 2021, 2022, and 2023 - when he logged 90%, 89%, and 81% of the defensive snaps, and made it clear that number is going to come down.
“In Aaron Donald's last 3 seasons for the Rams, he played 90%, 89%, and 81% of the snaps on defense,” Palmer said. “He's not going to play anywhere near that.
He knows it, and so do the Rams. They have plenty of depth and have been working on packages, formations, and ways to deploy him for some time, to my understanding.”
That points to a more selective role, with Donald likely used in specific packages and on the most important downs rather than as an every-snap anchor. Sean McVay’s defense appears set up to spread the work around up front.
The Rams’ interior rotation is expected to include Donald, Poona Ford, Kobie Turner, and Braden Fiske, with Tyler Davis and Ty Hamilton next in line. On the edge, Myles Garrett and Byron Young are listed as the starters, while Desjuan Johnson and Josaiah Stewart are the backups in the mix.
Donald is entering the 11th season of his career as a future Hall of Famer. He heads into the 2026-27 campaign with a résumé that includes three Defensive Player of the Year awards, eight First-Team All-Pro selections, 10 Pro Bowls, 2014 Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, and a Super Bowl ring. Now back with the Rams, he’ll be chasing a second one.
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