After the Rams traded for defensive end Myles Garrett, a workout video from retired defensive tackle Aaron Donald has reignited talk that he could end his two-year retirement. Donald said it “for sure got me thinking,” and joked that at 35, he’d need to see if
The timing couldn’t be louder. When the Rams made their trade for defensive end Myles Garrett, retired defensive tackle Aaron Donald’s return-to-workout video landed like a match near glowing embers.
The speculation didn’t come out of thin air. Aaron Donald. already removed from the NFL for two years. posted a recent workout video that quickly set fans—and plenty of people around the league—talking about whether his retirement was truly finished. Pat McAfee texted Donald to get his temperature. and Donald’s response. via McAfee. was direct: “It for sure got me thinking.”.
Donald wasn’t pretending it would be automatic. At 35, he suggested the biggest question isn’t whether he can train—it’s whether the desire still burns. “Thirty-five, removed two years ago, gotta see if that fire can light back up.”
The video itself added fuel. Based on what was shown, Donald wouldn’t have to spend much time rediscovering the routine. There’s also another factor at work: Garrett would be the kind of attention Donald used to draw constantly. With Garrett in the building. Donald could get a different kind of matchup than the one he’s used to seeing in his absence—rather than facing triple-team blocks on every single snap.
Donald is currently on the Rams reserve/retired list. If he were to return, it would be a far simpler step than convincing him to do it. His 2024 salary would be reinstated, though Donald could potentially want an adjustment.
Whether the Rams would want him back is the easier part. Of course they would. When Donald retired, he told coach Sean McVay, “I’m full.” In a video posted when he walked away, Donald explained the decision with burnout at the center of it.
So the tension now isn’t just about what the workout video shows. It’s about whether the reason he left—the exhaustion that drove him to say he was “full”—has changed.
Playing next to Myles Garrett could be the spark that shifts everything, too. Donald’s own comments make clear that the idea has his attention. The trade may have delivered more than a player—it may have delivered the fresh challenge that reignites motivation. the kind of splash of lighter fluid on what’s left beneath the charcoal.
Myles Garrett Aaron Donald Los Angeles Rams NFL trade comeback retirement Sean McVay Pat McAfee workout video reserve/retired list