The Los Angeles Rams are on Aaron Donald’s time, but head coach Sean McVay has a contingency plan in place.
He has to.
Even with the strong comments coming from current quarterback Matthew Stafford and legendary Rams QB Jim Everett, LA appears no closer to learning what Donald’s official answer is, despite all of the signals he has sent to this point.
Sean McVay Gets Honest About Rams’ ‘Plans’ Around Aaron Donald
GettyThe Rams have plans for Aaron Donald’s return and the alternative outcome.
“No updates on that,” McVay told the Rams beat on August 25 when asked if LA had received any answer from Donald, adding, “We have plans if he’s there and if he’s not.”
“If he ends up doing it later, you could hypothetically–but that’s not even part of our thought process. Our thought process has been let’s look at a 53 with him and a 53 not including him, and what does that look like? There’s some different guys that … have some potential roster exemptions that we’ve talked about. All those things are things that we think about. And whenever a decision is made–if that is the direction that he goes, where he wants to play–then we have plans accordingly. And if not, we have plans for those as well.”
Ex-NFL EDGE Dwight Freeney said the key for Donald is performing up to his own expectations.
McVay said that they “haven’t even gotten into” what it might look like if Donald decides before they depart for their Week 1 tilt against the San Francisco 49ers. He said they are taking it “a day at a time” with Donald.
“That’s really the truth. And if he decides he wants to be able to do it, then the next conversations are, What is your ramp-up?’ What does it look like to approach, whenever that would be, the first time that we think it would make the most sense for him to impact and influence positive change with us. So, we’ve had to have a lot of fluidity and flexibility, and that’s what I’ve had to learn over 10 years.”
McVay referenced his “old college coach,” Terry Hoeppner, who told him to “have a plan, work the plan, plan for the unexpected.”
McVay said that applies to Donald or players currently on the Rams’ roster.
Matthew Stafford Echoes Sean McVay Regarding Aaron Donald
GettyMatthew Stafford expressed similar sentiments to Sean McVay about Aaron Donald.
Donald has had several workouts at the Rams’ facilities in recent weeks, and he liked a post that said he was gearing up for the season (as opposed to still testing the waters).
Stafford, who played with and won a Super Bowl alongside Donald during the latter’s first Rams stint, gave his thoughts on what this version of Donald could be.
Stafford sounded a lot like McVay.
“I don’t see him a lot; I hear he’s working out a lot. I feel bad for whoever’s working out with him, because the guy’s an absolute monster in the weight room. But we’ll see. I don’t know what the tally’s going to be on that thing,” Stafford told Ryen Russillo on “The Ryen Russillo Show” in a clip shared on X on August 25, adding “I have so much respect for him–as a player, absolutely–but also as a person, and the way he’s carried himself, and what he’s been able to accomplish for our team iand this organization.
“Whatever’s right for Aaron is right for us. And if that’s, ‘Hey, I don’t think I can do it,’ Hey man, I appreciate it. Thanks for everything you always did, and then, giving it a rip and trying to see if you could do it again. And if the answer is, ‘Hey, man. I’m ready to come back and dominate,’ then shoot, let’s go. Let’s find a way to make this thing [work] and get back out here.”
Stafford added, “I know, for us as a team, we don’t think about it. We don’t talk about it much. We’re just out there trying to get better and know that he’s doing his thing on the side, trying to find out how he feels, and how he wants to go about it.”
Fellow Rams Legend Jim Everett Delivers Reality Check About Aaron Donald
GettyJim Everett offered a bit of a reality check about Aaron Donald and the Rams.
Everett, the Rams’ all-time passing leader, delivered a blunt reality check about Donald’s ongoing situation.
“Aaron Donald can keep doing individual workouts with the [ram emoji] as long as they want,” Everett posted on X on August 25. “Rams must report each workout to the @NFL. Rams can reinstate & sign AD whenever all sides are ready.”
From all fronts, the Rams will let Donald dictate when and if they get a decision.
Sean McVay Talks Aaron Donald ‘Plans’ as Matthew Stafford, Rams Legend Weigh In