It’s been over five years now since the Detroit Lions made a monumental trade with the Los Angeles Rams, as they sent Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles and in return, received Jared Goff along with two future first-round picks and a third-round pick.
The move has proven successful for both franchises. Stafford, who guided the Rams to a Super Bowl victory in his first season in Los Angeles and led them to the NFC Championship game earlier this winter, already got a major advantage when his club acquired Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns earlier in the offseason.
And now, the Rams, who were already considered heavy favorites to be the last team standing in the upcoming season, just got another major advantage with the return of Aaron Donald.
Former Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford’s Super Bowl Chances Just Rose Even Higher With The Return Of Aaron Donald
The Rams have officially brought back star defensive tackle Aaron Donald out of retirement and signed him to a one-year, $20 million deal.
“I’ve been working the last 12-13 weeks to train my body and get it to a point where I felt like I could play the game at a high level and be durable,” Donald told NFL insider Jordan Schultz on Sunday afternoon. “I am now ready to come back to try and do something special with this group of guys. We back.”
Donald announced his retirement in 2024, and has missed the last two seasons of Rams football. At the time of his initial decision to retire, he’d amassed an impressive 111 sacks. He’s also amassed 543 tackles with 24 forced fumbles, 21 pass deflections, and seven fumble recoveries.
Not only is he a Super Bowl winner with Stafford and the Rams, but he’s also a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, Defensive Rookie of the Year, eight-time First-Team All-Pro and 10-time Pro Bowl selection.
Aaron Donald Also Played With Current Lions QB Jared Goff
Goff and Donald spent five seasons together with the Rams, making three playoff appearances, winning an NFC West title and reaching Super Bowl LIII.
After another postseason exit in 2020, Los Angeles traded Goff to Detroit for Stafford, who went on to lead the Rams to a Super Bowl victory in his first season with the team.
Ex-Lions QB Matthew Stafford’s Super Bowl Outlook Just Got Even Better