Rams GM: Definitely Hoping Aaron Donald Is Back

In an interview during the NFL Scouting Combine, Rams GM Les Snead was asked if he expects DT Aaron Donald to be part of the team in 2024. 

“You know, we’re definitely hoping Aaron is,” he said via Andrew Siciliano. “I know Aaron is spending time away with the goal of being revitalized.”

Retirement has come up for Donald in the past couple of seasons, especially after the Rams won the Super Bowl in 2021. He’s said in the past it’s something he’s strongly considered at points, and Snead makes it sound like the Rams don’t know what he’s going to do yet. 

The 32-year-old Donald has accomplished just about everything a player could hope to accomplish in a career, and he’s entering the final year of his contract in 2024. 

Donald’s retirement would obviously leave an irreplaceable hole in the Rams’ defense, so this is a situation worth monitoring.

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. 

In 2023, Donald appeared in 16 games for the Rams, recording 53 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, eight sacks and three pass deflections.

We’ll have more on Donald as the news is available.