Sean McVay doesn't want to put an "invisible deadline" on Aaron Donald's decision

The timetable for defensive tackle Aaron Donald's decision on whether to play in 2026 has been shifting. Rams coach Sean McVay wants to give Donald all the space he may need. "We have some loose things where we’ve identified you know dates that we’d like to be able to hit, but what I don’t want to have is any sort of unnecessary pressure on him if there’s some unforeseen circumstances," McVay told reporters on Saturday, via Gary Klen of the L.A. Times. It's ultimately a no-lose situation for the Rams. "I feel great about our football team as it currently stands, and I know he’ll add value if he decides to come," McVay said. "And so if he’s put himself in a position to be able to say yes or no I think he’s earned that right to have clarity on that. We’re not at that point quite yet." Does McVay have a preferred timeline? "I’m hopeful that it will be sooner than later but I also want to respect when he does feel like that clarity will come," McVay said. "I don’t want to say too much or put some sort of invisible deadline on something that doesn’t exist in my mind for him." Donald still has time to join the team and be ready to play in Week 1. At some point, however, the clock will start ticking more loudly. The only real deadline, as mentioned earlier today, is the Tuesday after Week 13. It all comes down to when Donald thinks he's ready to get back to being the Aaron Donald everyone is accustomed to seeing on the field.