Aaron Donald Fantasy Stats

Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald is expected to play around 30 snaps Monday night against the New York Giants, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Donald sat out the opener against San Francisco as the Rams continued to ramp him up following two seasons away from football. He has been getting 11-on-11 work in practice and said Friday that he planned to make his season debut against New York. Donald is set to play his first NFL game since the 2023 season, though the Rams appear prepared to ease him back with a reduced workload.

Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald will play Monday night against the Giants, head coach Sean McVay confirmed Saturday, according to Nate Atkins. Donald said Friday that playing was the plan after getting more 11-on-11 work this week, and McVay has now confirmed his return. The Rams kept Donald home from their season opener in Australia while he continued to ramp up following two seasons away from football. He last played in January 2024 after recording eight sacks across 16 regular-season games that year. Donald came out of retirement on August 30 and has spent the past few weeks working his way back into football shape. Monday will mark his first NFL game in more than two and a half years.

Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald is set to make his return to the field on Monday night in his team's Week 2 matchup against the New York Giants, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Donald retired from the NFL following the 2023 season, but he announced in late August that he would be returning to the Rams. Donald did not play in Los Angeles' season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, and it's unclear how many snaps he will play against the Giants. However, assuming Donald still has some gas left in the tank, the 35-year-old has the ability to impact a game on any given play. Across 10 NFL seasons, Donald has won three Defensive Player of the Year awards and been named a first-team All-Pro eight times. With Donald on the field, life will be a little bit harder for Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart in Week 2.

The NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says that the hope and belief is that Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald will make his season debut in the Week 2 Monday night tilt against the New York Giants. It is not a guarantee that Donald will be cleared to play on Monday, but all signs are pointing to the All-Pro pass-rusher making his much-anticipated return to the Rams for the team's home opener on national television. Donald did not make the trip to Australia with the Rams for the Week 1 season-opening loss to the division-rival San Francisco 49ers last Thursday, but it appears he is in better football shape a week later and is raring to go. It is great news for L.A. after they placed star pass-rusher Myles Garrett (knee) on Injured Reserve this week, but if Donald does return on Monday, fantasy managers in IDP formats should be hesitant to start him because he will most likely be on a strict snap count in his first NFL game since retiring after the 2023 season.

The NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says that there is "a very realistic chance" that All-Pro interior pass-rusher Aaron Donald will make his return for the Rams in Week 2 at home against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. Rapoport reports that, based on people he has spoken to, Donald is targeting Monday night for his return for the first time since 2023 after hanging up his cleats. Head coach Sean McVay was a little more non-committal on Donald potentially returning in Week 2, saying, "We haven't decided that yet." The former 13th overall pick by the Rams in 2014 from Pittsburgh was a Pro Bowler in all 10 of his previous seasons, which included eight first-team All-Pro selections, but he is 35 now and coming off a long layoff without football. It will still be a shot in the arm for a Rams defense that was spanked by the division-rival San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 in Australia, especially after they placed star edge rusher Myles Garrett (knee) on Injured Reserve. Fantasy managers in IDP formats should keep expectations tempered for Donald, who is expected to return to more of a rotational pass-rushing role at defensive tackle, especially during his debut.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said on Monday that the team has not decided yet whether defensive tackle Aaron Donald will make his 2026 debut on Monday Night Football against the New York Giants in Week 2, according to Stu Jackson of the team's official website. "He's going to continue to work his process, and we'll see what that looks like," McVay said. The Rams would love to have Donald back in the fold after he unretired to rejoin the organization in 2026, but they are not going to rush him back after placing star pass-rusher Myles Garrett (knee) on Injured Reserve last Friday. The 35-year-old Donald continues to work his way back into football shape after not having played in the NFL since 2023. The 10-time Pro Bowler will be a welcome addition to the Rams' defensive line when he is ready, but that might not be until Week 3 or later. For fantasy purposes, Donald, who has 111 career sacks in his 10 seasons, will be more of a boom/bust defensive lineman because of the fact that he will be more of a rotational player in his return to the league.

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.