Aaron Donald returned to the field for the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2 against the New York Giants. The former defensive star had not played since retiring after the 2023 season.
The Rams entered the matchup looking to respond after a difficult Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Donald’s return added another major storyline as Los Angeles also continues to deal with Myles Garrett’s absence.
Donald had not traveled with the team for its season opener in Australia. His first appearance of the season instead came at SoFi Stadium, where the Rams hosted the Giants on Monday night.
Donald’s first game back quickly drew attention from several former NFL players.
Former NFL Stars Praise Aaron Donald Return
Shannon Sharpe, Breiden Fehoko, Chase Daniel and Jason McCourty all praised Aaron Donald after his return against the Giants.
Donald played 32 defensive snaps and finished with three tackles, including one tackle for loss, and one quarterback pressure. He also produced an average get-off time of 0.75 seconds, which Benjamin Solak of ESPN noted was the third-fastest mark by a defensive tackle this season.
Sharpe focused on the attention Donald received from the Giants’ offensive line. Despite spending two years away from football, Donald continued to draw double teams.
“Two and a half years, come back, and constantly double-teamed,” Sharpe said on the “Nightcap” podcast. “Who’s the guy that can come in and do what Aaron Donald did? Because he got constantly double-teamed the entire night.”
Sharpe also explained why the Giants continued to give Donald extra attention.
“You are not gonna be a hero in our story. I refuse to let that happen. I know everybody talking about man, why y’all doubling him? Because he’s still Aaron Donald.”
Fehoko also praised Donald’s performance, saying, “Aaron Donald been out the league 2 years and ain’t missed a beat. He will go down as the best defensive player of all time.”
Daniel reacted to the Rams’ performance on X, writing, “The Rams are all the way back. Aaron Donald’s back. Most importantly, Matthew Stafford put him at the top of the MVP race. I mean, this dude, unbelievable. And by the way, they did this without Puka Nacua.”
McCourty also viewed Donald’s first game back as an indication of what could follow.
“I think we have the evidence,” McCourty said. “We’ve seen this guy perform when he’s in peak shape and when he’s at his best. I think tonight was just a glimpse of that.”
Rams Bounce Back as Sean McVay Admits Australia Mistake
The Rams responded to their Week 1 defeat with a 28-6 victory over the Giants. Matthew Stafford threw four touchdown passes, while Davante Adams caught eight passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns.
Stafford also connected with Kyren Williams and Terrance Ferguson for scores as Los Angeles improved to 1-1.
The result came after the Rams lost 27-7 to San Francisco in Australia. Sean McVay later acknowledged that the team’s travel planning had contributed to a difficult situation before that game.
“We got the right people. Yeah, I think, you know, sometimes you win, sometimes you learn. And, you know, sometimes you have a dumbass coach that, you know, makes travel plans that put you in a bad spot,” McVay said.
The coach’s comments came after the Rams looked much stronger against New York. Los Angeles controlled the game while its defense limited the Giants to six points.
Donald’s return also gave the Rams another defensive option while Garrett remains on injured reserve. Garrett is expected to miss at least four games after undergoing knee surgery.
Donald acknowledged there was rust in his first game back. He said he had opportunities he needed to finish faster and occasionally became too excited.
“The game really wasn’t as fast as I thought,” Donald said. “It was more of me calming myself down, overrunning stuff or just my feet not being in the ground how they supposed to be, not trusting my eyes, little stuff like that.”
For the Rams, Monday’s performance provided a response to the opening-week loss while Donald began his return to NFL action.
Former NFL Stars React to Aaron Donald Return With Rams