Getty Head coach Matt Eberflus of the Chicago Bears.
The Chicago Bears roster is vastly improved from a couple of years ago, but the line of scrimmage remains an area of legitimate concern as offseason work begins.
Various pitches have the Bears landing a rotational pass rusher in free agency, with the return of defensive end Yannick Ngakoue or the acquisition of former Miami Dolphins edge Emmanuael Ogbah. However, ESPN’s Michael Wilbon suggested on the Thursday, May 23 edition of “Pardon The Interruption” that Chicago is a strong candidate for a considerably better and more accomplished defensive lineman should he make himself available in the coming months.
Defensive tackle Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams retired over the offseason following a 10-year NFL career filled with so much success that it is arguably among the greatest resumés in league history.
“I’m complete. I’m full,” Donald said upon announcing his retirement in March, per TheRams.com. “I think the passion to play the game is no longer there for me. I will always love football, but to think about going through another camp and another 17-[game] season, I just don’t got the urge to want to push myself through that no more. I’m just, I’m burnt out. The best way to say it is I’m full, I’m complete.”
Wilbon’s PTI co-host Tony Kornheiser referenced those comments Thursday before Wilbon floated his proposal pairing Donald with the Bears.
“I hear him.I believe him today, [and] I believe he believes that today. And I will bet you right now, greens fees anywhere you want to play, that Aaron Donald plays this season in the NFL,” Wilbon said to Kornheiser. “And I’m just thinking about teams that have a little money available to perhaps sign Mr. Donald. I can think of one in Chicago.”
Aaron Donald Was Best Defensive Lineman in NFL Over Last 10 Years
GettyDefensive tackle Aaron Donald, formerly of the Los Angeles Rams.
Ngakoue and Ogbah are essentially pass-rush specialists, while Donald is a defensive tackle and can — and has — done everything from that position since landing with the Rams as a first-round pick (No. 13 overall) out of Pittsburgh in 2014.
Now 33 years old, Donald is a 10-time Pro Bowler with eight first-team All-Pro selections and three Defensive Player of the Year Awards. He’s also a Super Bowl champion and earned more than $157 million over the course of his career.
Donald appeared in 154 games, with 150 starts, across his decade in the league. His career totals of 260 QB hits, 176 tackles for loss and 111 sacks were better than any other NFL player’s numbers in any of those three categories over the past 10 years, according to Kornheiser.
Aaron Donald Would Fill 2 of Bears’ Needs on Defensive Line
GettyFormer Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
Chicago has a little more than $22.6 million in salary cap space available for the 2024 campaign as of Thursday.
If a return for Donald is about money in any respect, the Bears can afford to pay him. Acquiring Donald, who earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2023, would be crossing off two needs in Chicago for the price of one, which would be further incentive for the organization to pursue a deal if Donald actually does entertain a return.
Not only has Donald frequently performed as an elite-level pass rusher, he is also a three-technique defensive tackle, which head coach Matt Eberflus has referred to multiple times as the “engine” in his defensive scheme, and one that a truly successful unit in Chicago will ultimately require.
A renewed interest in retirement after just one season back would have to be a concern for the Bears with regards to adding Donald. However, players of his caliber are so rare and so hard to acquire that if Donald wanted to come back and found Chicago an attractive destination, the organization would have no choice but to pursue a deal.