The Rams are getting Aaron Donald back, and the first question is the right one: what exactly does that look like after two years away and at 35?
Donald made it clear he believes he can still bring it. He didn’t sound like a player easing his way back in, either.
“Do I feel like I can play at a high level? Yes.
Do I feel like I can still be myself? 100 percent,” said Donald.
“If I didn't feel like that, I wouldn't be here.”
That doesn’t mean Los Angeles should expect vintage Aaron Donald every snap. But it also doesn’t mean the Rams are bringing in a shell of him, either. Even if he’s somewhere in the 70 to 80 percent range of his prime, that’s still a major boost for a defense that already had serious talent up front.
The numbers in the source paint the picture well: Donald never had a season with a PFF grade below 90, while last season only one NFL defensive tackle topped that mark. If he’s even 75 percent of what he used to be, he’s still operating at a level most interior linemen can’t touch.
What also changes this time around is the environment around him. When Donald retired in 2023, he was the veteran centerpiece of a young group the Rams were trying to grow into something bigger.
Kobie Turner and Byron Young were rookies then. Now, both are established pieces.
And that matters, because Donald isn’t walking back into a defense that needs him to carry everything. Before his return, the Rams already had one of the better pass rushes and defensive lines in the league, with Poona Ford, Braden Fiske and Turner up front and Young and Myles Garrett on the edge. That kind of depth gives the Rams room to be selective with Donald and smart about how they use him.
The workload is almost certainly going to look different, too. In 2023, Donald played 80.8 percent of the defensive snaps and averaged 54 snaps per game.
That kind of burden doesn’t seem likely now. Albert Breer said the expectation is for Donald to play 30-40 snaps per game, which would be a significant drop from his prime.
“My sense is the plan would be to play him 30-40 snaps per game, which is a lot less than he played in his prime,” said Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “I know how confident the staff is in him, but he’s also 35, and it’s a long year.”
That setup leaves Chris Shula with plenty to think about. Donald is likely to be used as a rotational piece on passing downs, where his impact can still swing a drive. And if he gets rolling, there may be no realistic way to keep him off the field.
“There’s gonna be so many plays that are on paper great, but when you realistically ask yourself, ‘Can we block them and do it?’ the answer's going to be no."Dan Orlovsky details the difficulty opposing teams will have when facing Aaron Donald and Myles Garrett 🏈 pic.twitter.com/CEOJOC2voS
The Rams also know they can be creative with him. Even when Donald was listed at defensive tackle before, they moved him around to hunt favorable matchups.
That could happen even more now. Playing him as a Wide 9 or on the edge more often would make sense, and it could help limit the wear and tear that comes with living on the interior.
Donald seems ready for whatever role comes his way.
“I'm here to earn any position that I'm in,” said Donald. “Whatever that is, whatever my role is, I'm going to earn it. So day-by-day, just work, grind, get myself to where I need to be at the level that I want to play at and that's all I can do.”
The Rams are expected to be careful with him in 2026, even if Donald wanted to be part of the full season and the entire run. They’ll take the bigger picture approach and keep him fresh whenever they can.
And that’s the real key here. The Rams don’t need Aaron Donald to be Aaron Donald in the exact same way he once was.
They just need him to be dangerous in the moments that matter. If they can keep him in those spots, his return makes an already tough defense even more miserable to deal with.
In Other News...
Rams Hype Just Ran Into A Brutal Playoff Warning
The Rams entered the season with the kind of buzz that usually follows a team built to chase the Super Bowl, and the roster only added to it. With star power on both sides of the ball and the return of Aaron Donald alongside recent acquisition Myles Garrett, Los Angeles has been viewed as a legitimate NFC heavyweight, the sort of team oddsmakers and analysts expect to be playing deep into January if health cooperates.
But Pete Prisco is already pumping the brakes on the idea that all that talent will translate into a title run. The NFL analyst sees the Rams claiming the NFC's top seed and earning a first-round bye, yet still getting bounced in their first playoff game by the Seahawks, a forecast that cuts sharply against the preseason optimism surrounding Los Angeles. It is a reminder that for all the hype, the postseason is where reputation gets tested and expectations can turn fast. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Opener Just Got Tougher With Nick Bosa Trending This Way
The Rams first trip into the regular season already had plenty of intrigue, and now the opener in Melbourne is getting a little more complicated. Nick Bosa was back on the practice field for the 49ers for the first time since Aug. 3, a notable step after dealing with tendinitis in his right knee, the same knee that previously had ACL surgery. For a matchup that always carries extra edge, seeing Bosa work back into the picture changes the feel of Week 1 for Los Angeles.
Bosa is traveling with San Francisco to Australia and said he is cautiously optimistic about being ready for the game, while also laying out a simple plan for the trip around a lighthearted coffee stop and a look at the local nature exhibits. For the Rams, the question is less about the scenery and more about how much of Bosa they might have to deal with in the opener, which is exactly the kind of late-week development that can reshape a game plan before a snap is even taken. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Make Another Quick Draft Pick Decision Fans Will Notice
The Rams are already making adjustments to their practice squad, moving on from defensive lineman Tim Keenan III to create a spot for edge rusher Jamie Sheriff. Keenan, a seventh-round draft pick, was never able to make much of a preseason impression, and his quick exit underscores how little margin there is for late-round newcomers trying to stick around in Los Angeles.
Sheriff arrives with a different opportunity in front of him after previously spending time with the Seahawks, and the Rams view him as developmental depth on the edge. It is the kind of roster churn that can look minor on the surface, but for a team constantly sorting through young talent, these decisions can hint at where the staff thinks the next useful piece might come from. [Read more 🡒]