Turns out the Los Angeles Rams nearly forced Tom Brady into a second retirement announcement in 2022.
At least Aaron Donald almost did, by Brady’s revelation.
The seven-time Super Bowl winner, whose Tampa Bay Buccaneers were eliminated by the Rams on January 23 in dramatic fashion by a final second field goal 30-27, went on the Dan Patrick Show on Wednesday, June 15 to share how one Rams superstar jokingly nearly got the NFL legend to retire again.
What Brady Said About ‘A.D.’
Brady spoke with the longtime radio and media personality about avoiding pass rushers as a 45-year-old playing in the league.
While Brady told Patrick “I’m out here with a lot of young guys trying to take my head off,” there was one Rams player he joked nearly got him to reconsider playing after taking a peak at his Instagram page: Donald.
“I see Aaron Donald workout on my Instagram I’m like, ‘Damn maybe I should have retired,’” Brady said. “Because he’s a beast.”
Brady didn’t specify which workout video it was that spurred the comment. Especially with the number of workout videos Donald has had shared online. Donald, though, has been known to perform workouts that is considered out of the ordinary for defensive linemen — particularly this sprint workout with a parachute that was shared on the morning of Thursday, June 16 by his speed training group 210ths.
Early Morning Hill Work Today 🏔🏔🪂🪂 @AaronDonald97. @RightNiles_33. @jaedengordon_ @Finesiin_Guap. @#TrevonHester @RamsNFL. @TheRamsWire. @ESPNLosAngeles. @RamsNFLReport @NFL. @brgridiron. #2TenthstheBluePrint
There’s also this high-intensity workout involving Donald’s core.
Those @AaronDonald97 workouts are wild. 😳
(via kilo_dutch/IG)
How Donald Can Relate to Brady
As it was, Donald was relatable with Brady in this regard: He too had retirement thoughts, which he first shared with NBC Sports’ Rodney Harrison during the pregame show leading up to Super Bowl 56.
There’s a strong possibility Aaron Donald could retire if the Rams win the Super Bowl, per @Rodney_Harrison
After winning his first-ever Super Bowl, Donald was asked if the big game would be his last…which at the time he chose not to answer.
Rodney Harrison said on the NBC broadcast that Aaron Donald told him he may retire if the Rams win. Donald didn’t confirm or deny, saying “I’m just in the moment right now” while surrounded by family members. Said it’s hard to put into words how good it feels to be a SB champ.
Now, Donald is signed to a $95 million deal that makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
Donald vs. Brady Through the Years
Donald and Brady have gone against each other five times in their careers.
“A.D.” struggled early against Brady-led teams. When Brady was with the New England Patriots, Donald went 0-2 against them: The 26-10 loss on December 4, 2016 and Super Bowl 53 on February 3, 2019.
Donald never got a sack of Brady when he was in the Pats’ uniform. He combined for eight tackles and three solo stops in both losses.
But ever since Brady has put on the Bucs’ colors, Donald and the Rams have had the upper-hand.
Donald and L.A. have claimed the last three victories over Brady and the Bucs — with two of their wins decided by three points. And Donald has gotten his hands on Brady with two sacks in the last two games versus Tampa. Donald has also collected eight combined tackles and five solo stops plus three tackles behind the line of scrimmage in those wins.
Brady, however, has remained unretired even after watching Donald’s workouts, saying his “appetite” for football stayed with him.
“I had the appetite to compete,” Brady told Patrick.
Brady and Tampa will host the Rams on November 6 in the rematch of that epic NFC Divisional round contest.
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Tom Brady Cracks Retirement Joke After Watching Rams’ Aaron Donald