Will Aaron Donald return to the NFL? Rams GM hopes retired DT will pull an Eric Weddle, return for Super Bowl run
Will Aaron Donald return to the NFL? Rams GM hopes retired DT will pull an Eric Weddle, return for Super Bowl run
Aaron Donald retired during the 2024 NFL offseason after a 10-year career, but Rams general manager Les Snead is hoping there might be an outside chance the defensive tackle could return.
It wouldn’t be on a full-time basis — it would be as a reinforcement for a Super Bowl run.
Snead spoke about Donald’s retirement during a Friday appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show.” The long-time Rams executive explained he spoke to the future Hall-of-Fame defensive tackle about such an arrangement as he pondered his NFL future.
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“I did mention to Aaron that going back to our Super Bowl run, that there was a player by the name of Eric Weddle, who kind of jumped into the playoffs, and we signed him to the practice squad,” Snead said. “And we standard elevated him for four straight games to a Super Bowl championship. So, I did mention if we happen to get to the playoffs again, maybe we’ll circle back and see if the cup’s not quite filled.”
As much as Snead would like that, he also admitted it wasn’t likely to happen.
“That’s just a rumor,” he said. “I doubt Aaron’s going to do that.”
“Aaron’s one of those guys where he’s so principled, he might feel uncomfortable that, ‘You know what, I didn’t go through those other 18 (games) with the guys, I’m not sure I can go through the playoffs with them,'” Snead added.
Despite this, Snead won’t hesitate to call Donald if he sees an opportunity to bolster Los Angeles’ Super Bowl chances.
“We might tempt him,” Snead said. “No breaking news here.”
Donald isn’t the only future Hall of Famer to face unretirement rumors this offseason. J.J. Watt also addressed them at a charity softball event Saturday, saying he would be willing to return to the Texans if the team “absolutely needs him.”
Still, Donald hasn’t said anything about returning to the field after his retirement. Seeing Donald back on the field would be thrilling, but it’s merely speculation that’s being entirely fueled by Snead’s desire.
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When did Aaron Donald retire?
Donald retired during the 2024 NFL offseason after 10 NFL seasons. He amassed 111 sacks across 154 games and was named an All-Pro first-teamer eight times in 10 seasons.
Donald also won three Defensive Player of the Year awards and a Super Bowl in 2022 with the Rams. He considered retiring after that but ultimately played two more seasons before officially calling it quits.
Aaron Donald contract
Donald retired with one season remaining on the three-year, $95 million contract he signed with the Rams during the 2022 offseason after winning Super Bowl 56. If he returned to the team on a part-time basis, they would almost certainly rework his deal into something more mutually beneficial.
If Donald takes the same path as Weddle, that would involve signing him to a practice-squad spot rather than one on the 53-man roster.
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Aaron Donald net worth
Donald’s net worth is estimated at $60 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. He earned just over $157.1 million during his NFL career, per Spotrac.com, and he’s padded that with endorsement deals from companies like Nike, Hulu, Pepsi, Snickers, and more.