Donald announced his retirement from football Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Donald had one season remaining on his contract and was due a $5 million roster bonus this weekend. He was still one of the best interior defensive linemen in the league in 2023, but retirement makes sense given that there's not a ton left to accomplish. Donald won three DPOY awards (2017, 2018, 2020) and a Super Bowl ring (2021), and he had at least eight sacks every season besides 2022 when he missed six games with an ankle injury. He retires two months before his 33rd birthday, sitting on 111 career sacks and locked in for a Hall of Fame spot. It's a massive loss for the Rams, though the blow is somewhat lessened by Kobie Turner's nine-sack rookie campaign in 2023.
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Rams' Aaron Donald: Returns to form in 2023
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Donald recorded 53 tackles (28 solo), 8.0 sacks and three passes defended during the 2023 regular season over 16 games played.
After suffering a high-ankle sprain that required surgery to end his 2022 campaign after just 11 games, seeing the future Hall of Famer play in all but one game (which was a mostly meaningless Week 18 game with a wild-card spot already locked up) was an encouraging sign, and he produced at a reasonable level at the age of 32. Donald finished second on the team in sacks, but for the second straight year he failed to hit double digits on his sack total, while failing to record a forced fumble for the first time since 2015. Donald will likely return for his eleventh season as a key anchor on an otherwise young Rams defense.
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Rams' Aaron Donald: Another monster performance
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Donald recorded five total tackles (three solo), including two tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks, while also deflecting a pass in Sunday's 26-25 win over the Giants.
The All-Pro defensive lineman continued his stretch of dominance in Week 17, leading the game in both tackles for loss and sacks. Donald has started all 16 of the Rams' games this season after missing six weeks in 2022, recording 53 total tackles, including 16 tackles for loss and 8.0 sacks. Expect the three-time Defensive Player of the Year to continue dominating the line of scrimmage in the Rams' Week 18 contest, which could be crucial for the team's playoff seeding.
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Rams' Aaron Donald: Expected to play
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Donald (groin), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Commanders, is expected to play, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Donald was added to the injury report late in the week after experiencing groin tightness, but he looks set to play through the injury Sunday. Official confirmation on Donald's availability will arrive when the Rams release their inactive list 90 minutes prior to the game's 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff. The star defensive tackle has recorded 43 tackles, six sacks and two pass breakups over 13 appearances on the season.
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Rams' Aaron Donald: Adds another sack in loss
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Donald registered four tackles (two solo), including a sack, in Sunday's 20-3 loss to the Packers.
Donald is now up to 5.5 sacks on the year -- already surpassing his total from the 2022 season -- and leads the team ahead of rookie Byron Young (five). Donald continues to be productive in his 10th year in the NFL and has played at least 75 percent of the defensive snaps in eight of nine games this season. He'll look to help the Rams snap their three-game losing streak after the bye in Week 11 against the Seahawks.
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Rams' Aaron Donald: Gets another sack Sunday
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Donald recorded four tackles (two solo) including a sack in Sunday's 29-23 overtime win at the Colts.
Donald surprised no one when he beat a double team, turned the corner and brought down 244-pound quarterback Anthony Richardson in Week 4; it's just what he does. He'll likely be defending the run more when the Rams host the Eagles in Week 5, though.
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Rams' Aaron Donald: Productive night in loss
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Donald played on 82 percent of the defensive snaps and finished with seven tackles and a sack in the Rams' 19-16 defeat to the Bengals on Monday.
The defensive tackle also helped hold Cincinnati to less than three yards per carry. The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year has 11 tackles, four quarterback hits, two tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks through three games.
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Rams' Aaron Donald: Likely done for season
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Rams head coach Sean McVay said Donald (ankle) won't play Sunday against the Broncos and is unlikely to suit up again this season, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.
Though McVay said Donald is "making good progress" in his recovery from a high-ankle sprain, the star defensive lineman has yet to resume practicing since suffering the injury Week 12 and will miss his fourth consecutive game Christmas Day. Given that the 4-10 Rams are eliminated from playoff contention, there's little incentive to expose Donald to further injury over the final three weeks of the season, so expect the 31-year-old to turn his sights toward returning at 100 percent health for offseason workouts. Assuming Donald doesn't play in Weeks 17 or 18, he'll finish his ninth NFL season with 49 tackles, five sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery over 11 appearances.
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Rams' Aaron Donald: Sits out walk-through session
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Donald (ankle) was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday's estimated practice report, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.
Donald missed his third consecutive game in Monday's loss to the Packers and may not be on track to make it back for this Sunday's matchup with the Broncos. With the Rams eliminated from playoff contention, they will presumably err on the side of caution with their star defensive lineman until the sprained ankle is firmly behind him.
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Rams' Aaron Donald: Out against Packers
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Donald (ankle) won't play in Monday's matchup against the Packers, Cameron DaSilva of USA Today reports.
Though the Rams are non-contenders at this point in the season, head coach Sean McVay has said that Donald won't be shut down. However, the Rams will err on the side of of caution with their star defensive lineman if his health is not up to par. As a result, he'll miss his third straight game due to the high-ankle sprain.
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Rams' Aaron Donald: Season-high seven stops
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Donald recorded seven tackles (four solo) including one tackle for loss during Sunday's 31-14 loss to the 49ers.
Donald played every defensive snap for the first time this season, as the Rams' struggled to slow down San Francisco's offense in the second half. After recording at least 12.5 sacks in each of the past four seasons, the star defensive end has logged just four sacks over the first seven contests of 2022. However, Donald could stand to terrorize Tampa Bay's depleted offensive line this coming Sunday.
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Rams' Aaron Donald: Receives Week 6 injury tag
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Rams head coach Sean McVay said Donald (foot) will be listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Panthers, but the defensive tackle is expected to play, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.
Even though Donald has missed the Rams' first two practices of the week due to the foot injury, the team apparently isn't too concerned that the star lineman will have to miss his first regular-season games since 2017, when he was rested for a meaningless Week 17 game. While Donald is unlikely to take part in Friday's practice as a full participant, he'll presumably be in line for his usual 80-plus-percent snap share if he avoids landing on the inactive list prior to Sunday's 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff. Through five games this season, Donald has tallied 21 tackles, four sacks and one fumble recovery.
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Rams' Aaron Donald: Nursing foot injury
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Donald was listed as a non-participant at Wednesday's practice due to a foot injury.
Donald is tending to the injury following his two-sack performance in a loss to the Cowboys on Sunday, though it's unclear exactly when the foot issue surfaced. According to Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times, Rams head coach Sean McVay said that the team would "be smart" with the star defensive tackle during practice this week, but the injury isn't expected to affect Donald's status for this Sunday's matchup with Carolina. Donald has recorded 21 tackles, four sacks, a fumble recovery and one forced fumble over the first five games of the season.
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Rams' Aaron Donald: Notches two sacks
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Donald registered six tackles (two solo), two sacks and a forced fumble in Sunday's 22-10 loss to the Cowboys.
Donald managed to double his sack total on the season, including a strip sack of Cooper Rush in the first quarter that led to a fumble recovered by Dallas. Rush got sacked by Donald again in the second quarter, cementing the best performance of the season so far for the star defensive tackle. The struggling Panthers come to town in Week 6, and with starting quarterback Baker Mayfield (ankle) likely out, Donald could be in line for another strong performance.
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Rams' Aaron Donald: Agrees to contract restructure
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The Rams and Donald have agreed to a restructured deal that is in line to make him the highest-paid non-QB in league history, Nick Shook of NFL.com reports.
Per the report, while no new years were added to the star defensive lineman's contract, the agreement guarantees Donald $65 million over the next two seasons and $95 million through the 2024 campaign. The 31-year-old is coming off a 2021 season in which he recorded 12.5 sacks and a career-high 84 tackles in 17 games. Now that he's come to terms with the Rams, the 2014 first-rounder remains entrenched as a key pillar up front on defense for the franchise.
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Rams' Aaron Donald: Lives in backfield
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Donald recorded five tackles, three tackles for a loss, one sack and one forced fumble in Sunday's 30-23 win over Minnesota.
Donald disrupted Minnesota's offense throughout the game. He stopped Alexander Mattison and Kene Nwangwu in the backfield on a combined three plays for a total of -7 yards. Donald also made life difficult for Kirk Cousins, sacking him and also causing a fumble late in the fourth quarter to stall a key drive. Donald has now recorded exactly five tackles in each of his last four games, but he's also recorded six sacks and forced two fumbles in that span.
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Rams' Aaron Donald: Gets in limited practice
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Donald (knee) was limited in Thursday's practice, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.
Donald did not participate in Wednesday's practice due to a knee issue that he picked up in Week 5. However, his return to practice in limited fashion Thursday suggests that he will be fine for the team's matchup against the Giants on Sunday. Unsurprisingly, Donald has been a key force for the Rams' defense, racking up 24 tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble through five contests.
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Rams' Aaron Donald: Managing knee issue
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Donald didn't participate at Wednesday's practice due to a knee injury and is considered day-to-day, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.
Donald is apparently dealing with some swelling after banging his knee during last Thursday's win over the Seahawks, though he still ended up playing 93 percent of the defensive snaps. It's not believed to be a serious issue, and the 30-year-old is expected to be ready to go for Sunday's game against the Giants.
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Rams' Aaron Donald: Another solid performance
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Donald registered seven tackles and one sack during Thursday's 26-17 win over the Seahawks.
Donald has 24 tackles and three sacks through the first five games of the season. The 30-year-old is on pace for his fifth straight double-digit sack campaign and remains a strong option in any IDP league that utilizes a DL spot.
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Rams' Aaron Donald: Listed as non-participant
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Donald (ribs) was listed as a non-participant on Tuesday's practice estimate, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports.
Donald suffered this injury during the wild-card win over the Seahawks. The All-Pro defensive lineman is officially considered day-to-day, and head coach Sean McVay said Sunday that he's expected to play in the NFC divisional round against the Packers, per Stu Jackson of the team's official site. Nevertheless, it's worth monitoring as the week progresses because the Rams' defense loses its identity without Donald in the fold.
