Aaron Donald Fantasy Stats

Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (back) told Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times that he feels "great" and plans to play in Monday night's Week 5 contest against the Buffalo Bills. "I don't feel like my wind's off," he said. "I don't feel like I'll be out there exhausted. I think the way we're able to rotate helps me a lot." Donald, who came out of retirement to sign a one-year deal with the Rams this past summer, has played in two of the Rams' four games so far. He has four tackles but is still searching for his first sack of the 2026 campaign. Even at 35 years old, Donald is one of the most powerful defensive linemen in football, and his presence could be key as the Rams look to slow down the two-pronged rushing attack of Josh Allen and James Cook III.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said the "hope" is that defensive tackle Aaron Donald (back) will return for the Monday Night Football game to close out Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills, according to Stu Jackson of the team's official website. "That's the direction it looks like it's trending in," McVay said. The 35-year-old veteran All-Pro pass-rusher did not play in the team's Week 4 win over the Philadelphia Eagles due to a back injury that is not considered long-term. As long as Donald is able to get back on the practice field this week, he would have a good shot at returning to the starting lineup for L.A.'s pass rush against quarterback Josh Allen and the Bills. If the 10-time Pro Bowler returns to action under the lights in primetime on Monday, he will continue to be in a rotational pass-rushing role for the Rams after coming out of retirement. The former first-rounder has played in only two games in 2026, playing in just over half of the defensive snaps. Donald has four combined tackles (one solo) but is still searching for his first sack since his return.

Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald (back) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Donald didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday after Sean McVay said he was dealing with a sore back, and Nate Atkins reported Friday that the 35-year-old will not play. Donald came out of retirement this season and made his debut in Week 2 after sitting out the opener. He has four tackles and one tackle for loss in two games, without a sack. The Rams are already without Myles Garrett, who is on injured reserve following knee surgery, so their front will be missing two of its biggest names in Philadelphia. Donald's absence gives the Eagles one less interior problem to account for, which is a small boost for Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the rest of the offense.

Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (back) did not practice on Wednesday due to a back injury, according to Blaine Grisak of Sports Illustrated. Donald, 35, came out of retirement this year to rejoin the Rams, a team with Super Bowl aspirations. The 10-time Pro Bowler and eight-time first-team All-Pro did not play in the season-opening loss to the division-rival San Francisco 49ers in Australia, and now he has a sore back after his first two games played in 2026. It does not sound like a serious injury at all, but the Rams will give the future Hall of Famer some extra rest going into a Week 4 contest on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles. Donald has played a rotational role, as expected, in his return to the Rams this year, and he has yet to record a sack while recording four tackles (one solo). He has 111 career sacks, but Donald is expected to continue working in a rotational pass-rushing role for the Rams, even with star pass-rusher Myles Garrett (knee) on Injured Reserve.

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.