Even when the Los Angeles Rams actually take the field, the looming possibility of Aaron Donald returning to the team still makes headline news.
After the Rams knocked off the Kansas City Chiefs 20-12 in their preseason opener Saturday, coach Sean McVay was asked about Donald’s potential return, and he responded with an understandably measured approach.
“We’ve had great dialogue,” McVay said. “It’s going to be on his timeline. And when he feels good about having clarity, whether that’s a ‘yes’ or whether that ends up being a ‘no.’ We’ve had some tentative discussions behind the scenes, there’s a lot of stuff, without getting too granular with it and just out of respect for the dialogue he and I have.”
Saturday’s exhibition was never going to be a true showcase for the new-look Los Angeles defense. Even if he was fully healthy, there was no chance Myles Garrett was going to play in this game, and that alone meant we weren’t going to a glimpse into what this defensive front can be this year.
Still, it was an encouraging performance for Chris Shula’s group. The Rams only allowed four field goals with no touchdowns, they limited Chiefs quarterbacks to under six yards per attempt and held the Kansas City running backs to under 3.9 yards per carry. Preseason stats are unreliable at best, but you’d rather see a good performance from guys on the roster bubble than the opposite.
But no matter how well the front played against the Chiefs, it’s nearly impossible to keep one’s mind from wandering to the idea of one of the sport’s greatest defenders ever returning to one of the best units in the NFL in 2026.
“If Aaron does decide he wants to do it, I’ve been very open that we want to try to be able to explore that opportunity,” McVay said. “But I think he has kind of earned the right to be able to say, he knows himself in terms of, ‘Am I able to stack back-to-back days? Am I able to do some of the different things?'”
McVay continued: “What I don’t want to sit here and do is put a timeline on it and then something comes up where I’ve got to kind of push it back … but what I don’t want to have is any sort of unnecessary pressure on him if there’s some unforeseen circumstances. I feel great about our football team as it currently stands, and I know he’ll add value if he decides to come.”
As he stated, McVay has made it clear how he feels about potentially getting Donald back for one more season. It’s hard to imagine anyone being upset about getting him back on the roster for another go, even if he plays a reserve/rotational role as he works back into game shape.
One thing is abundantly clear, though: Until Donald’s ultimate decision is official and locked in, this will continue to be a massive and omnipresent storyline for the Rams.