If the Los Angeles Rams are going to get Aaron Donald back this season, there is a seemingly increasing likelihood that their wait could extend into the regular season.
Donald, a 10-time Pro Bowler and eight-time First Team All-Pro, has been teasing a return after two years in retirement, but he has not given the Rams a firm answer, and they–specifically head coach Sean McVay–are not going to push him to make a decision either way.
Well, one league insider believes that Donald could take full advantage of that.
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Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio explained that the drawn-out nature of Donald’s situation “could become exhausting for everyone concerned, especially Rams fans.”
Florio cited McVay’s comments about not placing an “invisible deadline” on Donald.
“There is no real deadline. The only real deadline is the Tuesday after Week 13. That is the final deadline during the season that someone who’s on the reserve retired list can come back,” Florio said on “Pro Football Talk Live” on August 17.
“He could–he could–just let it ride, and let it ride, and let it ride. ‘So, you don’t have the money to pay me to play the full season? Well then, I won’t play the full season. I’ll come back. I’ll come back, and I’ll be healthy when everyone else is banged up by the time we get to Week 10.’ Nobody’s 100%? Here comes Aaron Donald: ‘I am.’ And that may be part of what he’s looking at now, too. ‘I don’t have to play 17 games. How many games do I need before the Seahawks game, Week 15, Christmas Day?”
Donald has worked out in an official capacity twice, but that is still different from being in a full training camp setting to prepare for a grueling NFL season.
Donald will need time to ramp up, if and when he decides to return.
There has been some discussion about Donald and the Rams needing to come to terms on revised compensation. He is set to earn $30 million if he returns, a number the Rams are not expected to be on board with.
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GettyAaron Donald could delay his decision about returning into the regular season.
McVay said that he and Donald have discussed loose timelines, though the Rams coach declined to go much further than that. That is still good news, since Florio believes Donald could leave the Rams in limbo for a while.
“I’m starting to think he’s not going to be there Week 1,” Florio said.
“But I don’t think he’s going to close the door yet, and he doesn’t need to close the door yet on coming back, at some point in time, to make an impact on the Rams. And you know what, if it all just goes to crap for the Rams, and they’re 5-6 after 11 games, then you just don’t come back. The question answers itself.”
The Rams took a similar approach in 2021, luring Eric Weddle out of retirement for the playoff run to a Super Bowl victory.
There was an expectation that Donald would want to be present from the outset for the Rams, i.e., Week 1. The longer he delays a decision, the less likely it is that he will do that, even if he does ultimately return.
McVay did note that he was hopeful about a swift resolution.
However, Donald has already allowed the process to linger and loom over the Rams while he comes to a decision.
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