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Aaron Donald has spent three seasons away from the NFL after retiring as one of the most accomplished defensive players in league history.
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The former Los Angeles Rams star finished his 10-year career with 111 sacks, three Defensive Player of the Year awards and a Super Bowl championship, among many other awards and accolades. Donald retired after recording eight sacks, 23 quarterback hits, and 53 tackles during his final season in 2023.
Rumors of his comeback have intensified since the Rams traded for Myles Garrett, who joined a team that finished four points short of reaching the Super Bowl last season after losing 31-27 to the eventual champion Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game.
On Thursday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport discussed the potential comeback and made it clear that he believes Donald returning to Los Angeles is a legitimate possibility.
“A real possibility is probably a pretty good way to describe it,” Rapoport said. “My understanding is Aaron Donald himself does not really know right now whether this is going to happen.”
Donald recently completed a self-directed workout at the Rams’ facility, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting on Monday that Donald wanted to test how his body responded to wearing pads and performing football drills again.
Rapoport said Donald is simply trying to determine whether he can regain the conditioning required to play at the NFL level before making a final decision on his return.
“He’s been training, obviously, (but) football shape is a little bit different,” Rapoport said. “It certainly sounds like Aaron Donald is going to start working out football-wise and take the next little bit of time to say, ‘Can I get in football shape enough to be the Aaron Donald that I was?'”
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From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: How real is a possible comeback for former #Rams star Aaron Donald? pic.twitter.com/GMe2Mx1PUn
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 16, 2026
Donald’s comeback, however, would not necessarily happen during training camp. Rapoport said the process could extend into the regular season.
“If he does show up, it would probably even be toward the end of training camp and could even be into the season,” Rapoport said.
The Rams are scheduled for a Week 1 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 10 at 5:35 p.m. ET in Melbourne, Australia.
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Donald would also likely return in a reduced role rather than playing every defensive snap.
“He’s not going to be playing fifty or sixty plays on defense, he’ll be more of a spot guy,” Rapoport said. “But yes, Aaron Donald does seem to be exploring this possibility.”
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This story was originally published July 17, 2026 at 3:30 AM.