Aaron Donald is back.
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year ended his retirement and rejoined the Los Angeles Rams for the 2026 season, the team announced Sunday.
Donald signed a one-year, $20-million contract that can reach up to $30 million with incentives, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The 10-time Pro Bowler confirmed his return in an Instagram video with the caption, "We back."
Rams coach Sean McVay said Sunday that Donald's status for Week 1 will be determined once he ramps up physically and gets reacclimatized to the rigors of professional football. Los Angeles will kick off its season in Australia on Sept. 10 against the San Francisco 49ers.
Donald, who retired following the 2023 campaign, began considering a comeback after the Rams traded for two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett in a blockbuster deal in June. He revealed Sunday that he privately decided two weeks ago he would indeed come back.
Los Angeles now has one of the most feared pass-rushing duos in recent memory, with Garrett on the edge and Donald on the interior. Donald registered a league-leading 111 sacks during his first NFL stint from 2014-2023. Since Garrett entered the league in 2017, no player has recorded more sacks than his 125.5.
Together, the two stars have combined for 236.5 sacks, 47 forced fumbles, 325 tackles for loss, 17 Pro Bowl invites, 13 first-team All-Pro selections, and five Defensive Player of the Year awards.
"Hopefully, we do some special things together," Donald said when asked about his new teammate.
Donald helped the Rams secure a Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, where he made the game-clinching play by forcing Joe Burrow to throw an incompletion on fourth down. This season's Super Bowl will be held at SoFi Stadium for the first time since that game.
In addition to Donald and Garrett, the Rams' defensive front features Braden Fiske, Kobie Turner, and edge rusher Byron Young, who led L.A. in sacks (12) last year.
"Obviously Myles and Aaron get a ton of credit that's been deserved and earned throughout the course of their careers, but those other guys on the front are pretty damn good too," McVay said. "The beauty of the unit is the unit."
The Rams made another splash earlier this offseason by sending a haul of draft picks, including a 2026 first-round selection, to the Kansas City Chiefs for cornerback Trent McDuffie. They also signed his former teammate Jaylen Watson in free agency to play across from him in the secondary.
Donald acknowledged that the Rams' offseason shopping spree gave him the itch to get back on the field.
