Aaron Donald is back in the NFL and with the Rams, and the three-time Defensive Player of the Year feels like he hasn't lost a beat.
"Do I feel like I can play at a high level? Yes. Do I feel like I can still be myself? 100%," Donald said Sunday. "If I didn't feel like that, I wouldn't be here."
The 35-year-old defensive tackle officially returned to the Rams on Sunday, partaking in his first practice session since retiring following the 2023 campaign.
Despite being out of the league for two seasons, Donald feels like he hasn't lost a step. His famous training habits allowed him to swiftly get back into gear. The veteran noted that he recorded all of his training and conditioning work to ensure he liked what he saw before making the comeback official.
"I studied myself to a 'T'," Donald said. "Watched every movement, every cut, every hip flip. In my opinion, I don't see no difference. It looked a little cleaner to me."
In Donald, the Rams added a 10-time Pro Bowler and eight-time first-team All-Pro to a defense that already underwent an overhaul this offseason. L.A. traded for cornerback Trent McDuffie and signed Jaylen Watson in free agency. Then, the all-in front office traded for reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. That massive move jumpstarted discussions of Donald's possible return.
"The D-line group alone, you talk about the interior guys, and then you got B.Y. (Byron Young) and then you brought guys like Myles Garrett out here," Donald said. "I already thought it was a stacked D-line with (Jared) Verse. Obviously, things transpired and happened, and then you bring a guy like Myles Garrett here, a generational talent, and it's like, huh, that could be fun. And obviously what they did on the back end with bringing certain pieces they need at the secondary.
"I think this is a complete team with me here or without me here, so for me to even have an opportunity to be a part of this, be with this team, I take nothing for granted. It's a blessing to be retired from the game for two years and have an opportunity to come back and be a part of something special. Nothing's promised, nothing's guaranteed, but I'm trying to get to that ultimate goal day by day, week by week."
The next question is whether Donald will be ready to play Week 1, when the Rams travel to Australia to take on the San Francisco 49ers (Sept. 10 at 8:35 p.m. ET) . On Sunday, L.A. head coach Sean McVay declined to speculate whether Donald will partake in the Down Under affair.
"I'm not going to talk about any sort of plans. It's going to be a day at a time for us," McVay said. "What does that mean for Australia? The first step was, alright, if you're coming back, let's do that, let's get you out on the practice field, let's get you acclimated to your teammates, to your coaches. And then we'll see what that ramp-up period looks like, whether or not he's available or whether or not we think it's best to be able play him in Australia. I think the best way to do it is to take it one day at a time.
"But we're obviously excited to be able to have him back."
The Rams will be comfortable tossing Donald into the lineup whenever he's ready, whether that's Week 1, Week 3 or even Week 7. Regardless, the Super Bowl contenders just added a difference-maker to the middle of their defense.
