Aaron Donald comeback talks are alive, Sean McVay says
Sean McVay said the Rams remain in contact with Aaron Donald, but there is no imminent decision on the retired star’s possible return.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
Sean McVay did not shut down the Aaron Donald comeback chatter as Rams training camp opened Tuesday at Loyola Marymount University, saying Los Angeles has stayed in touch with the retired defensive star.
The Rams coach told reporters he has spoken with Donald, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year who stepped away from the NFL in 2024. McVay said Donald is feeling good and that his training has been going well, but added there was “no new news” about any immediate decision on whether Donald will play again.
That is not a yes. It is also not the firm no Rams fans would dread. For now, the door is sitting open enough for the rumor mill to keep running.
Is Aaron Donald coming back to the Rams?
McVay said there is no imminent decision on a return, while confirming the team and Donald remain in communication. A comeback would mean Donald ending his retirement and rejoining the Rams roster, but no announcement has been made by Donald or the team.
The questions picked up after TMZ Sports published video earlier this month showing Donald working out at the Rams’ facility. Asked Tuesday whether Donald has been using the team’s Woodland Hills setup, McVay swerved with a grin, saying nobody was at the Rams facility at that moment and joking that “maybe TMZ knows the answer.”
According to TMZ Sports, Donald was on the Rams practice field on July 10 for a workout that lasted about an hour. TMZ Sports reported at the time that the session included agility work, medicine ball drills and other conditioning.
Donald staying in shape is not new. The eye-catching part was the setting: a retired franchise legend training on Rams turf in Southern California heat while comeback talk was already bubbling.
The Rams have not exactly kept Donald at arm’s length since his retirement. TMZ Sports reported that the team gave him permission to use its facilities whenever he wanted, and Donald has remained around the organization.
The latest wave of speculation followed the Rams’ trade for Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns. Pat McAfee said on X in June that he had reached out to Donald and that, according to sources, Garrett’s arrival had Donald thinking. McAfee also said Donald had noted he is 35 and needed to see whether the fire could be lit again.
Donald and Garrett on the same defensive front would be the kind of pairing that turns a summer rumor into a daily obsession. For now, though, the official line from McVay is contact, conditioning and no decision.
Donald spent his NFL career with the Rams before retiring in 2024. Until he or the team says otherwise, his status remains retired, with just enough smoke around training camp to keep everyone watching the door.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.