The Los Angeles Rams are looking to bounce back from their Week 3 loss to the Denver Broncos, but they have another stiff challenge on their hands against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4. Making matters even worse, the Rams aren’t going to have superstar defensive tackle Aaron Donald at their disposal, as he’s been ruled out for this game with a back injury.
As he continues to adjust to life in the NFL after coming out of retirement for the 2026 campaign, Los Angeles has been extra cautious when it comes to its use of Donald, which helps explain his absence in Week 4. While the team has to actually make it through this game first, it sounds like it is hoping that Donald won’t have to miss more than one game because of this injury.
Rams Hoping to Get Aaron Donald Back From Injury in Week 5
After enjoying a historic 10-year career with the Rams, Donald opted to retire at the conclusion of the 2023 campaign. With the front office loading up on defense over the offseason, though, it made a push to lure Donald out of retirement, and it was successful in its quest to do so, as it paired him up alongside superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett.
After sitting out the season opener, Donald has made his return by suiting up in each of L.A.’s past two games. For the most part, Donald has been fairly quiet, as he has just four tackles to his name, but after taking such an extended break from the game of football, that was to be expected for him.
Ensuring that Donald is ready to go for the postseason is Los Angeles’ primary objective, so if that means taking it easy with him during the regular season, so be it. That likely is one of the reasons why the Rams are holding Donald out in Week 4, but according to NFL insider Mike Garafolo, it sounds like the hope is that he is back in action for the team’s Week 5 contest.
“It sounds like they have an optimistic eye towards next week for his return to the field against the Bills. We’ll have to see how that goes, but that’s the hope: is that it’s only a one-game absence,” Garafolo said on “The Insiders.”
Rams Aiming to Get Back in the Win Column in Week 4
With Garrett on injured reserve, Donald has quickly become a much more important piece of the Rams’ defense than the team was hoping for early in the season. With guys like Byron Young and Kobie Turner in town, Los Angeles still has more than enough firepower along its defensive front, but it’s safe to say things haven’t gone according to plan when it comes to its pairing of Donald and Garrett so far.
The Eagles are a tough opponent, but it is worth noting that they just lost to the Chicago Bears‘ third-string quarterback on Monday Night Football in Week 3. If the Rams can play their brand of football, they should be able to get back in the win column. And considering how they have a 1-2 record through three games, it’s safe to say that this is a very important contest for the team early in the season.
Rams Receive Crucial Aaron Donald Injury News Ahead of Week 4 Absence