In their bitterness toward the Rams’ move back to Los Angeles, many fans have forgotten they were treated to the first two seasons of Aaron Donald’s Hall of Fame career.
Drafted in 2014 by the St. Louis Rams, Donald recorded nine and 11 quarterback sacks, respectively, during his first two seasons, accounting for 20 of the 111 (so far) in his career.
He was NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2014, a First-Team All-Pro selection in 2015, and earned Pro Bowl honors in both seasons.
After a “tryout” in L.A. Rams gear last week following a two-year absence from the game after his retirement, the winds seem to be blowing in the direction of a Donald return to the NFL with his former team.
The Rams, who became the Super Bowl champion favorites when Myles Garrett was acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Browns this summer, certainly would welcome Donald back — even at 35 years old.
But which Donald would be returning to the field? The dominant one who disrupted defenses throughout his 10-year career or the one who may have lost a step — and the passion — to play in the brutal NFL?
2Tenths Speed & Agility, a sports performance training company, released a pair of videos Monday showing Donald still has the physique and skills to play in the NFL. Of course, we can’t know his stamina or desire until he’s back on a field.
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk, my favorite NFL pundit, reported Sunday that a Donald decision will come by “the end of this week.”
There is a money quotient too. When Donald retired, he walked away from $30 million he was set to receive in 2024.
The Rams are likely thrilled at the thought of having Donald on the 53-man roster but not at that price. It would be virtually impossible because, according to Overthecap.com, the Rams are currently just $15.2 million below the salary cap.
I doubt the Rams would pay him half that without knowing how much gas he has left in the proverbial tank.
While it would be fascinating to see Donald return to action, I would rather see him focus on his goal of building a media empire.
Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports reported last week that Donald hired Jon Rosen of Envisionary, a sports and entertainment management firm, to “grow his businesses, brand partnerships, and overall profile in the media and entertainment industries.”
The Envisionary website states that “after three decades in the industry, [Rosen] maintains unparalleled relationships, a dynamic and powerful roster of clients, and first-hand experience on how to build a successful media company.”
St. Louis’ rapidly changing media landscape could use a major African-American entrepreneur such as Donald. Why be a small fish based in L.A. when you could be a shark in the Midwest waters of St. Louis?
It would be a full-circle moment for the former ferocious member of the St. Louis Rams.
Aaron Donald winning a Super Bowl ring and retiring was the perfect way to end his NFL career. Why he is considering coming back is beyond me. Maybe he has bought into all of the hype surrounding the Rams signing of Myles Garrett. I think the reigning defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks will have a lot to say about who wins the NFC West. Weeks 15 and 17 will reveal how the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks matchup against each other. There is going to be a lot of football to be played before then. A lot could happen during the season. My popcorn will be ready.