Sean McVay says Aaron Donald’s possible comeback is entirely up to the 35-year-old defensive tackle after the Rams trade for Myles Garrett. McVay praised Donald, addressed the idea of Donald playing alongside Garrett, and didn’t cool the speculation—while Garr
LOS ANGELES — The question was sharp, timed perfectly to the new Rams era. After Los Angeles completed its blockbuster trade Monday to acquire Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns. coach Sean McVay was asked Tuesday about Aaron Donald—another defensive force who walked away from the NFL after March 2024 retirement.
McVay didn’t offer a yes. He didn’t offer a no, either.
He confirmed the Rams would “never close the door” on Donald. but made it clear the decision is Donald’s to make—if he wants to chase what it would mean to play alongside Garrett. The speculation has surged since the Garrett deal. in part because Donald. now 35 years old. spent his entire NFL career with the Rams and left near the top of his game.
“Aaron is a guy that I stay really close in touch with. and I know the respect that he has for Myles. ” McVay said. “Talked to him about the opportunity to be able to bring (Garrett) on board. If Aaron decides he wants to dust them off at the age of 35. I bet you he could still do it at a pretty high clip.”.
McVay’s answer landed right where the conversation wants to stay: not on rumors, but on a relationship. It also left the door cracked just enough for fans who have been waiting for nearly two years.
That momentum picked up again Tuesday when ESPN personality Pat McAfee said he texted Donald about a possible comeback. McAfee said Donald told him Garrett’s arrival in Los Angeles “for sure got me thinking,” and that he’s “gotta see if that fire can light back up.”
Donald’s résumé explains why everyone keeps returning to the same question. He collected eight All-Pro selections. 10 Pro Bowl nods. and three AP Defensive Player of the Year awards across 10 seasons with the franchise—spent entirely in St. Louis and Los Angeles. He also finished with a Super Bowl ring.
Even his retirement seemed to carry a message. Donald left after compiling a franchise-record 111 sacks as the NFL’s best interior pass rusher, saying he was ready to step back from the daily grind it takes to keep that level of production.
But because he retired relatively young for a defensive lineman, the idea of a return never really stayed buried in Los Angeles. Rams fans openly pined for him last season, particularly when the team looked capable of a second Super Bowl run. Donald, however, resisted the pull.
There were signs that the topic never fully went away. Donald even worked out with Jared Verse. the Rams’ first-round pick who was traded to Cleveland along with three high draft picks as part of the Garrett deal. That trade cost the Rams a fortune. too—Garrett is a two-time AP Defensive Player of the Year and one of the few peers Donald has had in the 21st century.
The Rams now believe they can build something special with Garrett already setting the tone. Garrett has previously spoken about his respect for Donald’s game, and at his introductory news conference Tuesday he nodded along while McVay praised Donald.
On the details, Garrett offered just enough to make it feel personal. When asked about it, Garrett said, “There was a conversation.”
McVay responded with a joke: “A conversation and a couple of bucks?”
Garrett laughed and answered, “Maybe more than a couple of bucks. He was open to it.”
For now. the Rams can point to their defensive front and the new blend they’re hoping turns into another postseason statement. Garrett joins Byron Young, who recorded 12 sacks, along with interior linemen Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske, and Poona Ford. Garrett has already secured his No. 95 jersey from Ford, who wore it with the Rams last season.
Still, the biggest hinge in this story remains the same one McVay emphasized: Donald’s decision. The Rams can keep the door open. and Garrett can talk about conversations and money. but whether Donald “dust[s] them off” at the age of 35 will ultimately come down to the man who left the league when he felt he had completed the grind.
Aaron Donald Sean McVay Myles Garrett Los Angeles Rams Cleveland Browns retirement NFL news defensive tackle trade Pat McAfee Jared Verse Byron Young Kobie Turner Braden Fiske Poona Ford