Aaron Donald Rejoins Rams After Two-Year Retirement

Aaron Donald announced that he is coming out of retirement to rejoin the Los Angeles Rams for the 2026 season. The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year retired in 2024, saying at the time that he felt complete and full.

The Rams’ official site confirmed Donald’s return. He spent his entire 10-season NFL career with the Rams before retiring and will now play for the team again in 2026.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter also confirmed that Donald is coming out of retirement on a one-year, $20M deal that could be worth up to $30M if certain incentives are met.

How the Comeback Came Together

Rams senior staff writer Stu Jackson traced the possibility of Donald’s return to a conversation with head coach Sean McVay. McVay reached out to Donald for his opinion on defensive end Myles Garrett while the team was exploring a possible trade for Garrett.

When players arrived for training camp on July 25, McVay said Donald was following a strict, regimented process to put himself in position to decide whether he wanted to play again. On July 29, McVay said he and Donald had discussed timelines and remained in contact. McVay did not specify those timelines but said Donald’s training was going well.

On July 31, McVay said he did not expect an update until the team returned from training camp to its Woodland Hills practice facility. He also indicated that the possibility of a return was moving in a positive direction. A month later, Donald made his decision official.