Aaron Donald is back with the Los Angeles Rams, and for the Seattle Seahawks that means one more heavyweight problem just got heavier.
Sunday brought the report that Donald’s return had become official, ending a two-year retirement and sending him back into a Rams defensive front that already features offseason addition Myles Garrett. For Seattle, it’s a reminder that the road through the NFC just got even more crowded.
Donald, now 35, spent his prime years terrorizing offenses and building a case as one of the best defensive linemen in league history. He’s been out of football for two seasons, but the expectation is that getting him back into game shape won’t take long. The sense around him is simple: he should be a force again quickly.
And the Rams already looked built to make noise. Los Angeles was a good team last season, and by the source’s telling, the second-best team in the NFL behind the Seahawks, who went on to win the Super Bowl. After the moves they’ve made this offseason and preseason, the Rams are now being treated as the betting favorites for the coming season.
That doesn’t mean the picture is settled. The Rams have leaned hard into 2026, and that comes with risk.
Donald, Garrett and quarterback Matthew Stafford are all over 30, and if Los Angeles doesn’t cash in soon, the window could close fast. Injuries, uneven play and the usual NFL chaos can change everything in a hurry.
Seattle’s approach looks different. General manager John Schneider has put together a roster with a lot of younger players, and the idea is that the best football may still be ahead.
Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was excellent in 2025, but he’s still only 24. The point is clear: Seattle is building for more than a one-year sprint.
That’s the lesson Schneider seems to have taken from what happened after the Seahawks’ first title in the 2013 season. Sustained excellence wasn’t handled aggressively enough then, and the current plan reflects that reality. The Rams may have Donald back, but in the long view, Seattle is betting on a roster that can keep growing while Los Angeles is trying to win right now.
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