The most likely answer is no.
Aaron Donald is back with the Los Angeles Rams for the 2026 season, but everything about his return points toward this being a one-year comeback rather than the beginning of another multi-year chapter. Donald is 35 years old, has not played since the 2023 season and already walked away from football once after a Hall of Fame career.
Advertisement
He also signed a one-year contract with the Rams worth $20 million that can reach $30 million with incentives. The entire premise of his comeback appears to be centered around one goal: give Los Angeles another opportunity to win a championship.
Still, there is a tiny possibility that 2026 changes everything.
He already retired once because he felt complete with his career. After stepping away for more than two years, Donald has now put himself through a rigorous training process to determine whether he can still perform at a high level. The fact that he ultimately decided to return suggests that he believes there is one more great season left in him.
The cleanest ending would be winning Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium and walking away as a champion for the second time.
Advertisement
This is where the smallest possibility of a 2027 return becomes interesting.
If Donald produces a massive statistical season in 2026, the conversation could look very different.
Suppose he finishes the season with double-digit sacks, consistently wrecks games from the interior and looks like one of the NFL’s best defensive tackles. Suddenly, retirement might not feel quite as inevitable. And if the Rams fail to win Super Bowl LXI, Donald would have unfinished business.
There is also a potentially important roster factor. Myles Garrett remains under contract, giving Los Angeles its defensive centerpiece beyond 2026. Meanwhile, Kobie Turner is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2027. If Turner leaves, the Rams could suddenly have a starting defensive tackle position available next to Poona Ford. That doesn’t mean Los Angeles would automatically bring Donald back. In fact, the team would probably prefer to continue developing its younger defensive linemen and maintain flexibility around Garrett.
Advertisement
But if Donald is still playing at an elite level, the situation could be different. A lineup featuring Garrett on the edge, Donald and Ford inside could remain extremely dangerous. Donald also wouldn’t necessarily need to play an enormous percentage of snaps. At this stage of his career, a carefully managed workload could allow him to maximize his impact in passing situations.
Ultimately, the chances of Donald playing beyond 2026 should be considered extremely small.
The Rams acquired him for a championship push. Donald returned because he believes he has enough left to help them win another Super Bowl. And at 35, there is no guarantee that his body will want to go through this process again.
If the Rams win Super Bowl LXI, it would be especially difficult to imagine Donald coming back. He would have achieved the exact goal that motivated his return.
Advertisement
But if Los Angeles falls short and Donald somehow turns back the clock with a dominant statistical season, there could be one final question worth asking. Does Donald really want to walk away if he still believes he can dominate?
The answer is probably yes. This is most likely a one-year comeback.
Read the full article here
