Adam Schefter reports that with no recent progress between the Rams and DT Aaron Donald regarding a long-term extension, the expectation is that Donald will not play in Week 1’s game against the Colts.
This shouldn’t come as a big surprise. The two parties aren’t close and recent reports have said that a deal wasn’t expected to be done anytime soon, despite the fact that the Rams have been optimistic that he could return to the team.
A few weeks ago, Schefter reports that Donald was “threatening to last into the regular season” and it looks like he’s following through on just that. In fact, one of Schefter’s sources went as far to say that he could envision Donald sitting out the 2017 season.
Donald is in position to be one of the highest-paid players in the NFL when all is said and done, but the Rams have him under control through the 2018 season and could always franchise him if needed in 2019.
Donald, 25, is a former first-round pick of the Rams back in 2014. He was in the final year of his four-year, $10.136 million and set to make a base salary of $1,802,250 for the 2017 season when the Rams picked up his fifth-year team option for the 2018 season.
This will run them around $6.892 million for the 2018 season, but is guaranteed only for injury and won’t prevent them from working on a long-term extension over the next year.
In 2016, Donald appeared in all 16 games for the Rams and recorded 47 tackles, eight sacks, two forced fumbles and five pass defenses.
We’ll have more regarding a new deal for Donald as the news is available.
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