Aaron Donald's comeback is not clicking for the Rams yet

Why his name is trending

Aaron Donald is back in the conversation because the Rams have started slowly. Michael Strahan questioned whether the defensive tackle had made the right move. The team opened the season with a 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Australia [2]. The Rams are 3-4 after beating the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7 [2].

Strahan said he was surprised Donald had retired. "He had years left in him," Strahan said, adding: "I'm wondering if they're the point where he's going, 'damn, why'd I come back?'" [2].

The comeback deal

The Rams brought Donald back on a one-year contract. The base value is $20 million, and it can reach $30 million with playoff incentives, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter [1].

Donald said the choice had been on and off for a while, and that he had largely settled on it about two weeks before the announcement. He stayed in regular contact with head coach Sean McVay during that time [1]. Once he decided, he was fully in: "once you choose to come back, you're all the way back in" [1].

The career behind the return

Donald played ten seasons before stepping away. He won three Defensive Player of the Year awards, was named All-Pro eight times, and made ten Pro Bowls. He was also the 2014 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year [1]. His career total is 111 sacks, a career-high of 20.5 coming in 2018 [1].

The Rams also changed the defensive picture around him. They acquired Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns on June 1, in exchange for Jared Verse and a first-round pick. Garrett set the NFL single-season sack record with 23 last season [1]. NFL.com described a possible "Fearsome Foursome" front with Garrett [1].

What has gone wrong so far

Donald has not produced the impact the Rams hoped for. He missed Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles with a back issue that followed the Denver Broncos game, then returned to full practice for the Buffalo Bills game. A Week 5 sack of Josh Allen was erased by an illegal-contact penalty, and reports say he still has no sack this season [2].

Garrett has been on injured reserve since Week 1, according to the same report, so the planned pairing has not been on the field [2]. The Rams face the winless Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8.

When asked about his individual numbers, Donald pushed back. "No. I didn't come back for individual stats," he said. "As long as we win, I can build off everything else" [2].

The defense around him

Donald is not the only piece the Rams are counting on. The team traded for Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns on June 1, giving up Jared Verse and a first-round pick [1]. The defensive line listed by NFL.com also included Braden Fiske, Byron Young, Poona Ford and Kobie Turner [1]. Donald is the only starter left from the Rams' Super Bowl LVI defense still on the roster [1].

The early season did not go to plan on the field. According to the Yahoo Sports report, Donald did not travel for the 27-7 loss to the 49ers in Australia, the opening game [2]. That is a rough start for a player who came back to change the defense.

The career numbers

Donald is 35 and was 10 seasons into a career that produced three Defensive Player of the Year awards, eight first-team All-Pro selections and ten Pro Bowls [1]. He has 543 tackles, 176 tackles for loss and 24 forced fumbles, along with 111 sacks [1]. His single-season best of 20.5 sacks came in 2018 [1]. Garrett, with 125.5 sacks, is the other half of the pairing the Rams were betting on [1].

Strahan's comments came on the Roommates Show, where he said Donald "had years left in him" [2]. The same report says Strahan also wondered whether Donald had reached the point of thinking "why'd I come back?" [2].

The title context

The comeback was meant to make the Rams' front stronger. NFL.com described a potential "Fearsome Foursome" with Garrett in the middle of the line [1]. So far the results have not matched that expectation: Donald has no sack this season, and the Rams are 3-4 [2].

What comes next

The next games will show whether the comeback can change the Rams' record. The question for fans is simple: can Donald get back to a level that justifies a deal of up to $30 million, and can the defense win without his usual production? Watch the Rams' game against the Chargers and his snap count, and check whether Garrett returns to the lineup [2] [1].