Aaron Donald Fantasy Stats

Los Angeles Rams All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who came out of retirement this year to join forces with star defensive end Myles Garrett, is not quite ready and will not travel to Melbourne, Australia, for the team's Week 1 contest on Thursday against the division-rival San Francisco 49ers, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Donald is back on the field and continues to work himself back into football shape, but he is doing it with the long term in mind and not just Week 1. When the 35-year-old future Hall of Famer and 10-time Pro Bowler does make his season debut, potentially in Week 2 versus the New York Giants, he is expected to be in a rotational role on the interior of L.A.'s defensive line, which will make him much more boom/bust as a fantasy asset in IDP formats. Donald is in phenomenal shape, though, and will certainly be a force to be reckoned with on the interior after amassing 111 career sacks in 10 seasons with the Rams, and his presence in 2026 will only make an already strong Rams defense even more attractive in fantasy.

Los Angeles Rams All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald has been non-committal on whether he will play in the Week 1 season opener in Melbourne, Australia, on Thursday against the division-rival San Francisco 49ers, according to Vincent Bonsignore of The California Post. "We're taking it day by day," Donald said on Monday. The 35-year-old veteran was already believed to have traveled with the Rams to Australia, but that is uncertain now. After coming out of retirement to join All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett in L.A. in 2026, Donald is expected to be more of a situational pass-rusher to maximize his effectiveness, and he might not make his season debut until Week 2 or 3 as he continues to work his way back into football shape. The former 13th overall pick in 2014 from Pittsburgh is a future Hall of Famer and has been a Pro Bowler in all 10 of his NFL seasons with the Rams, racking up 111 sacks in his 154 regular-season games played. With more of a limited role in his return in 2026, though, Donald will be more of a boom/bust fantasy asset in IDP formats.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said that he expects every player on the team to make the trip to Melbourne, Australia, for the Week 1 tilt next Thursday against the division-rival San Francisco 49ers, which includes star defensive tackle Aaron Donald, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Although Donald, who came out of retirement to return to the Rams for the 2026 season, is with the Rams heading overseas, he is still TBD on playing in the regular-season opener. It is more realistic for the 35-year-old to make his debut in Week 2 or 3 as he continues to work back into football shape. If Donald does appear in next Thursday's game in Australia against the 49ers, it will likely be on a very limited number of pass-rushing snaps. The 10-time Pro Bowler and three-time Defensive Player of the Year has 111 sacks in 10 seasons with the Rams, but in more of a part-time pass-rushing role in his return in 2026, Donald is not going to have the same type of fantasy upside in IDP leagues that he had back in his prime.

Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald is more likely to debut in Week 2 or Week 3 than Week 1, per Dan Graziano of ESPN. Donald retired from the NFL following the 2023 season, but he officially announced his decision to come out of retirement and return to the Rams on Sunday. Given that Donald is 35 years old, missed most of training camp, and has not played in over two years, it appears the Rams will opt to bring him along slowly. Los Angeles will also travel to Australia for its season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, which could be factoring into the decision of whether or not to play Donald as well. The last time Donald was on the field, he was one of the best defensive players in the history of the NFL. A three-time Defensive Player of the Year and nine-time first-team All-Pro, Donald recorded eight sacks and 16 TFLs across 16 games for Los Angeles in 2023. While Donald could easily be a dominant force on a per-play basis once he's back on the field this season, the Rams may choose to limit his workload throughout the year to keep him fresh for the stretch run.

The Los Angeles Rams have signed defensive tackle Aaron Donald to a one-year deal worth $20 million, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The deal could pay him up to $30 million with potential incentives. Donald is coming out of retirement and will return to the team where he played 10 seasons from 2014 to 2023. During his first stint in Los Angeles, he tallied 111 sacks and 24 forced fumbles. He made the Pro Bowl in all 10 seasons, was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2014, won three Defensive Player of the Year awards, and was an eight-time First Team All-Pro. One of the greatest defensive players of this century, Donald will join forces with fellow superstar Myles Garrett, who was traded from the Browns to the Rams this past offseason. All of a sudden, the Rams D/ST is back to being the #1 unit in fantasy football.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said he has no update on retired defensive tackle Aaron Donald, according to Sarah Barshop of ESPN. McVay said earlier this week that the team is prepping a 53-man roster with Donald on it and one without him. Donald, who is seriously considering coming out of retirement to join pass-rusher Myles Garrett in a strong Rams defense, has already worked out with L.A. a few times this month, but it remains to be seen if he will rejoin the team, either before the regular season starts or after. The 35-year-old 10-time Pro Bowler and eight-time first-team All-Pro is in incredible shape, but he is still in the process of determining whether he can get into good enough football shape to realistically return and make an impact for a Rams team that is one of the favorites to win this year's Super Bowl. Donald had 111 sacks in his 10 NFL seasons with the Rams, but if he comes out of retirement to rejoin the organization, he is expected to serve in more of a rotational pass-rushing role on the interior of the Rams' D-line.

Retired defensive tackle Aaron Donald worked out for the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, according to the NFL's transaction log (via Mike Garafolo of NFL.com). Donald, who is retired, previously worked out for the Rams on August 5 to see how he felt with pads on. It's unclear exactly why the Rams brought him for a second workout less than two weeks later, but there's evidently strong mutual interest in a reunion between the two sides. Donald spent his entire NFL career with the Rams from 2014 to 2023. He made the Pro Bowl in each of his 10 seasons, was an eight-time First Team All-Pro, won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2014, and took home Defensive Player of the Year honors three different times. He still had a lot left in the tank when he retired after the 2023 season, during which he amassed 53 tackles, eight sacks, 23 quarterback hits, and 16 tackles for a loss. Despite taking two years off, we'd imagine Donald is still capable of playing quality football as a starting defensive tackle for the Super Bowl-hopeful Rams. It will be interesting to see if a deal comes to fruition in the coming days, especially now that the 35-year-old has worked out for his old team twice.

ProFootballTalk reported that retired defensive tackle Aaron Donald's target date for a decision to return to the Los Angeles Rams continues to shift. Speculation about Donald's return first spread across the league after the blockbuster trade that sent the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett, to the Rams. In early August, Donald was spotted at the team's facility for an official training camp workout. Even as Donald pushes his decision timeline back, the Rams do not seem inclined to set any deadlines. If he decides to return, the Rams would have one of the best defenses in history on paper as they attempt to win another Super Bowl in 2026.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said he doesn't know yet whether former All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald will come out of retirement for the 2026 season, but he said that Donald "looked outstanding" during his workout with the team on Tuesday, according to Sarah Barshop of ESPN. Donald spent his entire 10-year NFL career with the Rams before hanging up his cleats in March of 2024. "He's very deliberate and intentional about what this looks like," McVay said of Donald. "Things are going in the right direction. He's feeling good, but we're not to where we are able to say whether or not he is or isn't ready to do it. But he's doing great, and he looked outstanding, as I think all of us would expect." McVay doesn't want to put a timeline for Donald's decision, but he has said in the past that if he returns, he would be "all-in." The belief is that if the 35-year-old 10-time Pro Bowler and eight-time first-team All-Pro comes back, it would be in more of a rotational pass-rushing role for the Rams' D-line, but Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported on Thursday night that Donald could be ready to take on 30-40 snaps in Week 1 against the division-rival San Francisco 49ers in Australia if he unretires. It's looking more and more like an already stacked Rams' defense is going to get more help this year from a future Hall of Famer.

Future Hall of Fame defensive lineman Aaron Donald could see a heavy workload in Week 1 if he returns from retirement. According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, Donald could get between 30 and 40 snaps if he returns in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia. Donald has been retired since the 2023 season, but rumors have fueled speculation that he could unretire and play for the Rams this year. Donald had a workout with the team on Wednesday, and head coach Sean McVay said it was the best he's ever seen. With the team's acquisitions of reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett and star cornerback Trent McDuffie, the Rams defense could be an unbreakable unit if Donald returns and looks like even half the player he was in his prime. UPDATE: McVay said, "We're not to where we are able to say whether or not he is or isn't ready to do it," per ESPN's Sarah Barshop.