Aaron Donald Unretires to Form Nightmare Duo with Myles Garrett
Aaron Donald is coming out of retirement to sign a one-year, $20 million deal with the Los Angeles Rams, pairing up with Myles Garrett to create a terrifying defensive front.
HotTakes Editorial TeamUpdated 1 min read
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Just when opposing quarterbacks thought it was safe to drop back, Aaron Donald is officially coming out of retirement. After two years on the couch, the future Hall of Famer is returning to the Los Angeles Rams on a one-year, $20 million deal that could hit $30 million with incentives, according to Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport.
Paying a guy up to $30 million after a two-year vacation sounds insane until you remember who we are talking about. The rest of the NFC West just collectively threw their playbooks into a woodchipper.
"Adam Schefter reported the deal is a one-year, $20M contract that could be worth up to $30M with incentives."
Donald is not just coming back for a farewell tour. He is joining forces with Myles Garrett, creating a defensive line that looks like a glitch in a video game. For context, Garrett is coming off a 2025 campaign where he casually racked up 23 sacks and three forced fumbles.
Even at 35 years old, Donald is a terrifying addition. In his last active season back in 2023, he still managed eight sacks while drawing double-teams on every single snap.
The Rams just wrapped up their preseason with a 20-18 win over the Chargers, and now they drop this roster nuke right before the real games begin. You do not hand out $20 million guaranteed in late August unless you are pushing all your chips to the center of the table.
This move completely scrambles the board for the upcoming season. Anyone holding a futures ticket on a rival quarterback to lead the league in passing yards might want to check if their sportsbook offers an early cash-out option.
The only real question is how quickly Donald can get his legs back under him after two years away from live football. But even a rusty Aaron Donald lining up next to Myles Garrett is going to make Week 1 an absolute nightmare for whoever has to block them.
Key stats
Aaron Donald had 8 sacks in his last active season in 2023.
Myles Garrett recorded 23 sacks and 3 forced fumbles in 2025.
The Rams recently defeated the Chargers 20-18 in preseason action.
What's next
Donald will need to get into game shape quickly as the Rams prepare for Week 1, where opposing offensive lines will face the daunting task of blocking both him and Garrett.

Key stats


