Aaron Donald’s comeback is already uncommon, as the Los Angeles Rams star is in rare company with another all-time defensive great.
Donald said Friday that he plans to make his 2026 debut Monday night against the New York Giants, putting him on track to play an NFL game for the first time since the Rams’ wild-card loss to the Detroit Lions on Jan. 14, 2024.
The gap between those game dates is 981 days. Counting both Jan. 14, 2024, and Sept. 21, 2026, Monday would be the 982nd calendar day since Donald last suited up.
This kind of extended layoff recalls Deion Sanders, who walked away from football after the 2000 season before resurfacing with the Baltimore Ravens in 2004.
Donald Set to End 982-Day Wait on Monday Night Football
Donald’s return has been building since Aug. 30, when the Rams announced that the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year was ending his retirement.
The 35-year-old signed a one-year, $20 million deal that can reach $30 million with playoff incentives, according to NFL Network. He had spent the summer training toward a possible comeback after Los Angeles acquired Myles Garrett.
Donald didn’t travel to Australia for the Rams’ season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers, allowing him an extra week to work back toward game shape. On Friday, he finally gave the clearest indication yet that his wait is about to end.
“That’s the plan,” Donald said when asked if he would play Monday. “So two practices today, have another practice tomorrow, and then we’ll see. But feeling good.”
His return became more important after Garrett underwent knee surgery and landed on injured reserve. The Rams confirmed Garrett will miss at least four games, leaving Donald as the headline addition to a defensive front that suddenly needs him sooner than Los Angeles might have anticipated.
Donald said he has felt increasingly comfortable during practice, even after so much time away.
“I kind of forget that I didn’t play football in two years,” he said.
Sanders’ Time Away Reflects Donald’s Return
Sanders provides one of the clearest historical parallels for Donald.
His final game before retiring came with Washington on Dec. 24, 2000. Sanders then returned with Baltimore on Sept. 12, 2004, a span of 1,358 days between regular-season appearances. NFL game logs confirm Sanders’ final 2000 appearance and his return in Baltimore’s 2004 opener.
NFL.com has described Sanders as having gone four years without playing football before his comeback. He was 37 when he returned and moved into a reduced role as Baltimore’s nickel back instead of resuming the typical workload he had during his prime.
The comeback still produced results. Sanders appeared in nine games in 2004 and 16 more in 2005. NFL career statistics show he recorded five interceptions across those two seasons.
Donald’s circumstances are different. He is returning at 35, and the Rams have ramped him up. His role also figures to be more central, especially while Garrett is unavailable.
There’s a common thread between two defensive icons willing to test themselves again after retirement. Sanders proved a Hall of Fame career and a long absence didn’t automatically close the door on purposeful NFL snaps.
Now Donald is preparing to find out the same thing under the lights at SoFi Stadium.
Rams’ Aaron Donald Enters Deion Sanders Territory With 982-Day NFL Comeback