...
By Ricardo Sandoval
Contributing Sports Writer
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
As we approach the end of Week 15, the Los Angeles Rams are one of the hottest teams in the NFL.
Los Angeles has won seven of their last nine games and sits at the top of the NFC West. The job is nowhere close to being finished, but they've built something well in year one in life without Aaron Donald.
After 10 years as a Ram and in the NFL, Donald called his career quits this past offseason. There was chatter about a potential return this season if the Rams were to do well. That happens to be the case as things stand, but Rams head coach Sean McVay quickly shut down that chatter.
Read More on NFL
When asked about a potential Donald return on Monday, McVay said he wouldn't try to convince him to return.
...
"I would almost feel disrespectful reaching out to him, just based on the principles and knowing him the way that I do. If that was something that he got interested in, then that would obviously be something that you're always open to."
Donald has been adamant that the 2023 season was his final, but he can't come back, even if that wasn't the case.
Players on the reserve/retired list, like Donald, cannot return after Week 12. The deadline for them to come off the reserve/retired list is "the final business day before Week 13."
Although Donald's former teammate Eric Weddle was about to come out of return to play for the Rams during their 2021 Super Bowl run, the difference there was that he wasn't on the reserve/retired list anymore because his contract had expired.
Donald is still under contract as it runs through the 2024 season, which allows the Rams to retain his rights to his contract until the end of it. The Rams could cheat the system and release Donald to eventually pick him up, but it is not worth it at this point in the season.
The Rams are riding high, and they have been able to keep their head above water without arguably the greatest defensive player of all time. Donald is at an all-time great and is sorely missed in the locker room and on the field.
Nonetheless, if Donald ever changed his mind about retirement, the Rams and McVay would be the first to welcome him with open arms.
More news: Saints Star Alvin Kamara Receives Unclear Injury Diagnosis
For more Rams and NFL news, make sure to head over to Newsweek Sports.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines