The Los Angeles Rams announced Friday that DT Aaron Donald is retiring from the NFL.
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) March 15, 2024
Donald also posted the following on X:
Cheers to what’s next. Extending a big thank you to the Rams and all of the fans for your support over these last 10 years. Much love. 🍾🙏🏽💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/edGxkUYdLz
— AD_99 (@AaronDonald97) March 15, 2024
Donald had been weighing retirement the last few years and it looks like he was finally at peace with the decision to move on with his life.
The Rams had said they were hoping to have him back for another season, but it looks like major changes could be in store for their defensive front now that a future Hall of Famer has called it a career.
Los Angeles recently restructured his contract for cap space, which means there will be some dead money in the next year or so.
Donald, 32, is a former first-round pick of the Rams back in 2014 out of Pittsburgh. He was in the final year of his four-year, $10.136 million rookie contract when the Rams picked up his fifth-year team option for the 2018 season, which cost them around $6.892 million.
Los Angeles signed Donald to a record six-year, $135 million extension back in August of 2019, which included a $40 million signing bonus and $86,892,000 guaranteed.
Donald had three years remaining on his deal with base salaries of $9.25 million, $14 million and $14 million when he agreed to a $40 million raise with the Rams following the 2021 season.
For his career, Donald appeared in 154 games and recorded 543 tackles, 111 sacks, 24 forced fumbles, seven recoveries and 21 pass defenses over the coruse of 10 seasons.
Donald was an 8-time All-Pro selection, a 10-time Pro Bowler, a Super Champ and won three defensive player of the year awards.
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