Aaron Donald is returning to the NFL post-retirement. He is returning to the Rams for the first time since 2023 and is eager to get back on the field.

He believes he hasn’t missed a beat and is ready to compete at a high level. When asked, he responded with a firm “yes” and said “100%” when asked if he can still be himself.

The three-time defensive player of the year will join forces with another all-time talent in Myles Garrett. The two defensive lineman in their prime together would have been unfair and unheard of. It remains to be seen whether Donald’s confidence will translate into the same level of play he brought before retirement, but the upside of what Donald could bring should definitely excite Rams fans.

Donald looks forward to working alongside all the talent that the Rams have on defense. “I already thought it was a stacked D-line,” he said during a visit with the media.

Whether Donald will play week 1 is still up in the air. The Rams play the 49ers in Australia to open their season, and Coach Sean McVay declined to comment on Donald’s timetable. He did say that the Rams were “excited to have him back.”

The Rams are one of the Super Bowl favorites, and it is tough to see this addition hurt the team more than it could help. Even if Donald plays at 75%, it is an upgrade over almost anyone in the league at that position. The game in Melbourne is the first time the NFL heads to Australia for a regular-season game and would be an awesome spot for Donald to return, but the team isn’t rushing him back, and when he returns, it will be when he is fully ready to go.

Aaron Donald conducted an official workout with the Los Angeles Rams on Wednesday, a session the league’s transaction wire formally classified as a tryout and one that head coach Sean McVay treated with a mix of humor and genuine optimism about a potential return.

The three-time Defensive Player of the Year, who hasn’t played since retiring after the 2023 season, worked out at the Rams’ facility using team equipment, which required the session to be reported to the league since he wore a helmet.

Donald did not wear pads. Asked afterward whether the workout amounted to a tryout, McVay didn’t hold back his enthusiasm, telling NFL Daily reporters, “Best tryout we’ve ever had,” and adding, “I think he could make the team.” McVay had signaled last week that no formal decision from Donald would arrive during training camp but described the situation as “trending upwards.”

Speculation about a possible Donald comeback has built steadily since June, when the Rams acquired reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett in a trade with Cleveland. Donald has said the move got him thinking seriously about rejoining the franchise where he spent his entire ten-year career, which included a Super Bowl title following the 2021 season and ten Pro Bowl selections. He was spotted running conditioning drills at the team’s Woodland Hills facility as early as mid-July, fueling further speculation ahead of Wednesday’s more formal workout.

Should Donald return, he’d join a defensive line already featuring Garrett alongside Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske, Poona Ford and Byron Young — a group that would immediately rank among the most talented fronts in the league. It remains unclear how much can be read into a non-padded workout for a 35-year-old defensive tackle, and no timeline has been set for an official decision from Donald on whether he intends to return for the 2026 season.

Aaron Donald could return to the NFL. The possibility has become one of the more intriguing storylines of the NFL offseason after Myles Garrett was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, sparking speculation about a potential comeback for perhaps the greatest defensive player football has seen.

Donald retired following the 2023 NFL season, ending one of the greatest defensive careers in league history. The former Ram walked away after 10 seasons, three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, eight first-team All-Pro selections and a Super Bowl championship. At the time, Donald said he felt at peace with the decision and was ready to focus on life away from football.

However, rumors picked back up after Garrett joined the Rams. Pat McAfee said on his show that he texted Donald, who hinted he’s considering the idea.

If Donald returns, pairing him with Garrett—even with Donald approaching 40—would be a nightmare for opposing offenses. That’s immediate pressure, no matter who is blocking them.

Many around the NFL immediately began imagining what a defensive front featuring both Garrett and Donald would look like. Although Donald has repeatedly stated he’s enjoying retirement, the idea of returning for a championship contender is tempting for fans—even if not for Donald himself.​

I honestly think Donald is done—he’s at peace and does not need to come back. Head coach Sean McVay has maintained a close relationship with Donald and frequently praises the impact he continues to have on the organization.

For now, Donald appears content in retirement, spending more time with family and staying involved in charitable work around his hometown of Pittsburgh.
​

After 10 years in the NFL, one of the greatest players in football history has called it a career.

Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald announced his retirement last Friday, ending a dominant 10-year run that saw him make the Pro Bowl in every season and win a Super Bowl with the Rams in 2021. He finished his time in the NFL with 111 sacks, the second most for a defensive tackle in history. He is expected to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when eligible.

Donald announced his retirement on social media, writing in an Instagram post: “Cheers to what’s next. Extending a big thank you to the Rams and all the fans for your support over the last 10 years. Much love.” The video that accompanied the statement showed highlights of Donald’s career, from when he was first drafted in the 2014 draft to some of his most exciting sacks and defensive plays.

Donald seemed to tease retirement after the Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI two seasons ago. However, he chose to stick around, despite Los Angeles missing the playoffs in 2022 and barely making it last season.

Many celebrities and athletes on X congratulated Donald for an amazing career, including Magic Johnson, Jalen Ramsey, Cooper Kupp and LeBron James. 

Donald in his rookie season recorded nine sacks and 37 solo tackles, a sign of great things to come for the University of Pittsburgh alum. He arguably had his best season in 2018, posting an incredible 20.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 59 total tackles and appearing in his first Super Bowl with the Rams. The team lost to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII by a score of 13-3.

Over the weekend, Donald made another post on Instagram, announcing that he is conducting a retirement interview that will be posted at an unspecified date. One of the greatest football players in history seems to have a lot on his mind as he ends his decade-long tenure with the Rams, the only team he has ever known.

The Los Angeles Rams are still not sure if defensive lineman Aaron Donald will return for the 2024 season, though the team is hopeful about the prospect. Donald, a 10-time Pro-Bowler, has been considering retirement for several years but has always returned to Los Angeles.

“Definitely hope Aaron is [back],” Rams general manager Les Snead said Wednesday. “I know Aaron is definitely approaching the offseason where he’s doing his normal getting-away, somewhat trying to get revitalized with the goal of playing good football.”

Donald, the 32-year-old defensive star and longtime Ram, has reportedly grappled with retirement for some time now. At the end of the 2021 season, after Los Angeles defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl, Donald contemplated walking away on top but ultimately decided to return. The Rams restructured his contract to make him the highest paid defensive player in football.

After the 2022 season, a dreadful follow-up effort for the Rams, some though Donald might consider retirement again. Donald admitted that he considered it after the Super Bowl victory but had no desire to end on a sour note.

“Not really, honestly,” Donald said last off-season when asked if he thought about leaving. “You never want to end your career the way how it was last year so it never really crossed my mind. Just trying to do everything I can to get myself healthy to be here today.”

In Donald’s 2023 season, he earned eight sacks and First-Team All-Pro honors for the eighth time in his career. The Rams made the playoffs but lost to the Detroit Lions in the Wild Card round.

Donald has one year remaining on his contract and would earn nearly $35 million if he chooses to return to Los Angeles for the 2024 season. With more than $100 million in earnings over the course of his career, this may not necessarily be a strong motivating factor, but Donald has found reasons to come back in the past and would likely remain a defensive force for the Rams going forward.

Los Angeles Rams defensive star Aaron Donald clarified to reporters Wednesday that he never had any intention to retire after the 2022 season. The lineman has long been rumored to be considering walking away, most recently in January when he changed his Twitter bio, but vehemently denied the reports in a press conference.

“You never want to end your career the way it was last year,” Donald said. “It never really crossed my mind. I was just trying to do everything I could to get myself healthy to be here today.”

Donald changed his Twitter bio to read,” former NFL defensive lineman,” and also reportedly submitted retirement papers to the league office. There was also speculation last season that Donald, then a reigning Super Bowl winner, would have retired if head coach Sean McVay did not return to Los Angeles. An injury in 2022 was also reportedly a contributing factor in his consideration, but Donald refuted this as well.

“For the first time in my life, I had to deal with a serious injury, but I made a commitment to this organization to do my part,” Donald said.

Unlike the 2022 season, the Rams are not entering 2023 in high spirits, as the team went from Super Bowl champions to a 5-12 organization that missed the postseason. Donald could have retired on a high note after Super Bowl LVI but will instead need to bounce back in his 10th NFL season.

Donald went on to say that he looks forward to continuing as a leader for the team, which will now look to involve younger talent following the departures of Jalen Ramsey and Bobby Wagner.

“We all need somebody to push you at times. If I’m slacking, I want them to let me know I’m slacking so I can pick it up and I can get better,” Donald said. “That’s what it’s all about. It’s about holding each other accountable and pushing each other.”

In an interview Wednesday, Los Angeles Rams star defender Aaron Donald downplayed the severity of his actions in a joint practice with the Cincinnati Bengals last week. During an altercation between the two teams that resulted in a halt to the practice, Donald was seen swinging a Bengals player’s helmet near other players.

“It was just a practice. It was football,” Donald told the AP Pro Football  podcast. “I don’t really wanna go back to nothing negative that happened and talk about something that happened in a practice. My main focus is Buffalo.”

Donald was not the only one implicated, as a number of players on both teams were involved in multiple skirmishes across the field. Photos and video of Donald during the fight gained the most attention, however, as the seven-time All-Pro is a leader on the Rams as well as the league.

Donald said that he had already come to terms with Head Coach Sean McVay and his teammates since the skirmishes.

Because teams, not the league, are typically responsible for player conduct at practice, it is unlikely that Donald or others involved will face disciplinary action for the incident. The two teams played against one another in their final preseason game last weekend without incident.

Following the altercation, McVay did not seem concerned with disciplining his players, but instead expressed concern about self-inflicted setbacks for players.

“You just never know what can occur,” McVay told reporters. “And my biggest concern is just unnecessary injuries for people that we’re counting on.”

Tension between the two teams likely stemmed from their Super Bowl matchup last year, when the Rams defeated the Bengals 23-20. Both teams are widely considered postseason contenders as the regular season approaches, though their paths won’t cross again this season unless both teams make it to the Super Bowl.

Addressing his main focus going into the season, Donald told AP that he was looking to make the most of the time he has left in the league.

“Being an older player, 31 years old, being able to have the work ethic I got, the one thing that I needed to do a lot better is recover and take care of my body,” Donald said. “That’s my main focus. I’ve got the work ethic and now making sure I have the recovery part so I can play at a high level.”

As Donald mentioned, the Rams will take on the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 on September 8.

It was a good day for the defending champions Los Angeles Rams as eight-time Pro Bowler Aaron Donald signed a new deal with the team which gives him a handsome $40 million raise and guarantees his time with the team thru 2024.

The new deal is structured to guarantee the All-Pro defensive tackle $65 million over the next two seasons. With the deal, Donald also has the option to retire after the 2023 season or return for one year for another $30 million guaranteed. The 31-year-old had been looking to get this deal done and was floating the possibility of retirement with his already-massive list of accomplishments in the NFL.

“I’m locked back in to go get us another ring. Why not? At SoFi Stadium, getting chills thinking about it. Let’s go to work,” Donald said on social media after the deal had been signed.

He had been looking to reach a deal that was reflective of not only his talent and status as arguably one of the best defensive players ever but also the current average price of defensive players in the NFL.

Recently married Rams’ head coach Sean McVay sounded off on the new deal expressing his pleasure at the contract getting sealed. “It’s not great news, it’s phenomenal, outstanding, any nice adjective that you can place around it, but it is, it’s a big deal and he’s earned it. And he truly is one of one in my opinion. Means so much to me, to our organization. I think the respect that he’s garnered around this league from guys that have done it at such a high level, what he’s accomplished through his eight years is unparalleled,” McVay said.

The Rams have been one of the more active teams during free agency, bringing in a flurry of big-name additions. These include wide receiver Allen Robinson and linebacker Bobby Wagner. Now, Donald has a chance to run it back with the team and add to his already long of accolades.
With the new deal, Donald sets a number of records including being the highest-paid defensive player ever and being the first non-QB to make $30 million or more per year.

One of the most prolific defensive players in the NFL says he’s at peace with his career if a new contract is not negotiated. Rams star defensive tackle Aaron Donald says that he’s fine if there is no new deal reached between himself and the Rams’ front office.

On the I Am Athlete podcast hosted by former NFL players Brandon Marshall, Pacman Jones and LeSean McCoy, Donald said, “It ain’t about the money, it’s a business at the end of the day. That’s what you’ve got to see. For me, it’s about winning. I don’t want to play football if I can’t win anyway, so I feel like … if I got a real opportunity to win another Super Bowl, then it makes sense to play. But again, it’s still a business. We’ve got to handle the business side of things, and if that wasn’t to get handled then, you know, it is what it is type of situation. I’ll be fine regardless.”

Donald is one of the most decorated players in NFL history. The defensive tackle is an eight-time Pro Bowler, seven-time All-Pro, three-time Defensive Player of the Year, a member of the Hall of Fame All-2010s Team, and most recently a Super Bowl Champion.

After eight seasons, Donald has been touted as not only one of the best defensive players in the NFL but rather all-time. He also alluded to these eight seasons saying he’d always thought about retiring after eight seasons. “But me talking about retirement, that was happening way before we won a Super Bowl. I’ve been saying that since I got into the league that I was going to play eight years and be done. That’s just what I’ve been saying. It just came out and then everybody think that, ‘Oh, he said if he wins a Super Bowl he’s going to retire.’ Nah, I got teammates, coaches, and my family who know about this. I said I’m going to play eight years, and I’m going to probably be done playing football,” he said.

Donald is under contract with Los Angeles through 2024, but he has no more guaranteed money left on his deal. He is optimistic that the Rams will work out a deal but said that if one isn’t reached, he will not be upset. “I was blessed to play this game, to make the money I made, the accomplishments I made in eight years is, like, I’m complete. If I can win another one, that’s great. But if not, I’m at peace,” he said.

Donald recently signed with Donda Sports, an agency founded by musician Kanye West.

“Run it back!”

That’s the phrase that was jokingly used by Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay at the team’s Super Bowl victory parade to stave one of the greatest defensive players off from potential retirement.

Indeed, on a makeshift stage in front of thousands of fans outside the L.A. Coliseum, with the Olympic torch lit, McVay playfully McVay gestured to Aaron Donald as the Rams defensive tackle was finishing a speech.

“We built a super team, we can bring the super-team back,” Donald said. “Why not run it back? We can be world champs again!”

The scene seemed to diffuse rumors that the 36-year-old McVay, who’s reached two Super Bowls in five seasons, and three-time Defensive Player of the Year and seven-time All-Pro heading into his age-31 season Donald would retire or jump ship after the team’s 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.

McVay responded cryptically to a question Monday about returning in 2022 with, “We’ll see,” sparking rumors of an exit. On Wednesday night, though, his fiancée, Veronika Khomyn, posted a photo of McVay to her Instagram story with the caption, “And no. He is NOT retiring!!!”

With regards to Donald, prior to the Super Bowl, former NFL safety and current NBC analyst Rodney Harrison said that there’s “a strong possibility” Donald retires if the Rams win the Super Bowl—even with three years remaining on his contract.

“You saw Sean on stage today,” Rams COO Kevin Demoff said. “He’s ready to go defend our title.”

The team filled four double-decker buses on a 1.1-mile parade route that began at the Shrine Auditorium and went down Figueroa Street before reaching the Coliseum—the Rams’ home for nearly 40 years.

The Rams became the third major L.A. sports team to win a championship in a span of 16 months (Dodgers, Lakers; though they didn’t have a parade due to COVID-19 restrictions).

Andrew Whitworth, the 40-year-old left tackle who won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, was not as adamant about returning, saying, “We’ll save that conversation for another day.”

Von Miller, the 32-year-old Pro Bowl linebacker who is venturing into free agency, was not, “Man, we ain’t going nowhere.”

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson left Thursday night’s game against the Los Angeles Rams after suffering a middle finger injury and is expected to miss six weeks of action.

Wilson banged his throwing hand against Aaron Donald‘s arm on a third-quarter incompletion, rupturing his finger tendon in the process, requiring him to leave the game a couple possessions later.

Wilson finished the game going 11-of-16 for 152 yards, a TD and an interception. He was replaced early in the fourth quarter by Geno Smith, who completed 10-of-17 passes for 131 yards, throwing a touchdown and a pick.

Despite the backup QB’s efforts, the Seahawks ultimately lost the game 26-17.

After the game, head coach Pete Carroll appeared cautiously optimistic while answering to the media about Wilson’s predicament.

“There is a lot of work to be done in assessing all of that,” Carroll said. “Russell is one of the great healers of all time, and he’ll do whatever he can to get back as soon as absolutely possible.”

“He wasn’t able to hold on to the football the way he needed to, to throw it, because we were going to throw the ball, and we needed to throw it all over the place,” he said. “We didn’t know what he would be able to do. He was just unsure… If he could have, he would have.”

According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Wilson had surgery on his finger today, which included the use of screws for stabilization.

Up to this point, Wilson had never missed a single start thus far in his illustrious NFL career.

Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald is the latest football player accused of a crime. The Rams’ defensive stalwart is accused of assaulting a man and giving him a concussion, a broken nose, a broken eye socket, an arm injury and 16 stitches near his eye.

The incident allegedly took place over the weekend. De’Vincent Spriggs said that he accidentally bumped into Donald at a nightclub over the weekend at Pittsburgh’s Boom Boom Room nightclub. The incident caused both parties to be asked to leave by the club.

Todd Hollis, Spriggs’ attorney, filed a criminal complaint with Pittsburgh police on Wednesday. The complaint alleges that Donald and others assaulted his 26-year-old client. Hollis alleged that the incident involved Spriggs accidentally elbowing Donald in the back.

“When they got outside, Mr. Donald approached Mr. Spriggs and Mr. Spriggs was punched and attacked, again allegedly, by Mr. Donald and the individuals that were a part of his group,” Hollis said.

Cassey White, Donald’s attorney, released a statement denying the accusations. Instead, White alleges that Spriggs attacked Donald first. White said that Spriggs swung a bottle at Donald that grazed his head as he ducked. White added that other people surrounding Donald stepped in to the incident.

“As he ducks, somebody from behind grabs him to stop him from interacting with this guy, Mr. Spriggs, so he holds Aaron back in a sense,” White said. “At that point, that’s when other people come to Aaron’s aid and defend him by removing, so to speak, Mr. Spriggs from the area where he is punched and he is fighting; it’s a mutual fight at this point between other individuals who Aaron does not really know.”

“Aaron actually runs over to Spriggs’ aid and starts pulling people off of this guy,” White continues to explain. “He’s trying to get these kids off Spriggs; he gets at least two or three people off of Spriggs and at that point in time, somebody grabs Aaron and says, ‘This is not a good situation, let’s get the heck out of here.'”

White’s statement is supported by a released surveillance video showing the fight outside the establishment. In the video, the defender is circled and shown attempting to break up the fight before being stopped and pushed out.

The Rams are aware of the situation regarding their star defender. “We are collecting more information and will have no further comment at this time,” the Rams’ statement said.

With training camp just around the corner, EA Sports granted NFL players this week what appears for most as yet another motivational tool ahead of the 2019–2020 NFL season.

Prior to the video game’s commercial release on August 20, the award-winning gaming company released this year’s Madden rankings on Monday.

The rankings grade each player in categories such as speed, strength, accuracy, tackling, blocking and others on a 1–100 scale. The game also averages out each player’s individual skill scores, eventually stamping each player with an overall score by using the same numeric format. With the averages released to the public, multiple players including Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans, New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley, and Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu expressed unapologetic displeasure when initially reacting to not only their own scores, but also those of others players belonging to the tightly knit NFL fraternity.

Aside from the football community’s generally negative reception, the managed rankings praised some players effectively. Four players achieved a remarkable 99 OVR, the highest ranking possible. Last year, the game featured seven players posting a 99 overall. However, this year’s “99 club” shrunk but still included Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, Chicago Bears linebacker Khalil Mack, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner. 

Looking to ease the tension amid the storm stirred up by controversial rankings, six–time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady proceeded to step in and jokingly tweeted out a video illustrating his underrated speed. Brady appeared to be somewhat mocking other players for feeling disrespected by the rankings.

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Although the phrase “it’s just a game” translates with even greater value to this specific situation for NFL players, this phenomenon certainly adds another reason to expect further competitiveness next year, as this upcoming season offers a prime opportunity to prove the EA critics wrong.

Former Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday was asked to give predictions coming into the new NFL season. On ESPN’s NFL Live, he said that he believes that Los Angeles Rams‘ defensive lineman Aaron Donald will win the regular season MVP.

“This guy is the best player in football, how he has not won the MVP… I get (Patrick) Mahomes, I get everyone loves points and I (was) an offensive player,” Saturday said on ESPN’s NFL Live. “What this guy has done from the position has been absolutely astounding for me.”

Donald was dominant to say the least last season. According to Pro Football Focus, the Rams player finished first in the league in sacks, with 20.5, first in the league for tackles for loss, with 25, and first in the league for hits on the quarterback, with 41. He also topped all NFL defensive linemen with 106 pressures on the quarterback.

According to USA Today, Donald is the third player in the NFL to record at least 20.5 sacks and 25 tackles for loss in 16 regular season games, joining the company of JJ Watt and DeMarcus Ware.

As well as Donald played last year, breaking multiple defensive line stats, he still got swept in the MVP voting section, not receiving a single vote. So what would Donald have to do this season in order to win it?

Adam Schein of NFL.com seems to agree with Saturday on this one. About Donald’s MVP run this year, he said, “the Rams‘ stud is the single best non-quarterback in the NFL and the best defensive player in the league, bar none. He wrecks games. He’s unstoppable. No other interior defensive lineman has ever posted as many sacks in a season as Donald’s league-leading 20.5 last year,” he continues, according to NFL.com. “Donald will be my pick, as per usual, for Defensive Player of the Year, an award he’s won two years running. Now, his MVP candidacy does suffer from the fact that he plays defense, at a position that is not commonly associated with gaudy stats, as well as the fact that Donald’s head coach, Sean McVay, leads a sensational and explosive offense for the Rams. But never get it twisted. This cat is the truth.”

With more exposure to his name this year, and having won the defensive player of the yer back-to-back now, surely Donald will receive some support for this year’s MVP if he continues to play at the level he’s been playing at.

On Friday, the 2018 All-Pro NFL Team was announced. The team was heavy on defensive star power as well as rookies.

For the first time in its history, the team features four first-year players. Indianapolis Colts left guard Quenton Nelson and linebacker Darius Leonard were selected for the team along with Seattle Seahawks punter Michael Dickson and Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James. The last time rookies from the same team made the list was in 1965 with Hall of Famers Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers.

NFL All-Pro Team 2018 Includes Mahomes, kelce brothers

“These are the kind of guys who have the DNA, the makeup of everything that we are looking for,” Colts coach Frank Reich said. “All the intangibles, all the character qualities, everything about them. It’s a really hard filter to get through to get marked that way, and both Quenton and Darius had that on their card. So that says something about their maturity and how fast we think they will develop.”

The list also featured two brothers, Travis and Jason Kelce. Travis is a Kansas City Chiefs‘ tight end and Jason anchors the offensive line for the Philadelphia Eagles. “For me and my brother to both get it, it’s that much more special because I still remember us in the backyard fighting with each other, playing football growing up, and we envisioned each other competing at the highest level, competing against the best players,” Jason Kelce said. “And for both of us to be recognized as one of those guys is pretty special.”

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Travis was joined by three other Kansas City players: Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Mitchell Schwartz at right tackle, and Tyreek Hill as the flex player.

Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald was the only unanimous choice, named on all 50 ballots. “That’s surreal,” Donald said. “It’s a blessing. Wow! You see the hard work pay off. A lot of credit to my teammates and my coaches for pushing me and helping me.”

The next closest on offense was wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins with 46 and on defense, Bobby Wagner received 49 votes. The team features an even 14-14 split between the AFC and NFC.

As the Los Angeles Rams training camp gets underway, they are without their star defensive tackle Aaron Donald, as it appears that he will be holding out of camp for the time being, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. The holdout is presumably due to a lack of a satisfactory contract, as he enters the final year of his rookie deal. He is set to make $7 million this coming season.

Donald held out for all of 2017’s training camp, not reporting to the team up until September 9, just one day before the team’s season opener against the Indianapolis Colts. However, since he is now entering the final year of his contract, he could be denied free agency at the end of the season if he does not report to training camp at least one month before the beginning of the season, which starts on September 10 for the Rams.

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Rams general manager Les Snead has said in the past that the team plans on making Donald the highest paid defensive player in the NFL when the time comes for him to sign a contract, but the situation is getting a bit strange. The Rams recently signed newly acquired wide receiver Brandin Cooks to a six-year deal worth $90 million, with $50 million guaranteed. Now, the team has inked running back Todd Gurley to a four-year contract extension worth $60 million, with $45 million guaranteed. Those are two huge contracts for non-quarterback players, and if the Rams were to follow through on their big-money promise to Donald, they would be seriously strapped for cash elsewhere moving forward.

When speaking about those other contracts, Snead said, “Each situation is different. Different players, different agents. … You work on everything simultaneously, but you really don’t know when you’re going to get something done or not because it’s case by case.”

In reference to Rams fans everywhere taking to social media to announce their desire for Donald to get paid, Snead stated, “That’s what we’re trying to do… It’s a little more complicated than that. Definitely agree with the fans. We want to definitely try to pay Aaron what he’s deserved and make him a Ram a long time.”

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All this aside, if there’s any defensive player worth that type of money, it’s Aaron Donald. He has made the Pro-Bowl in each of his four seasons in the NFL, made the First Team All-Pro each year from 2015 to 2017, won the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2014, and Defensive Player of the Year in 2017. This past season saw him accumulate 11 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, and a staggering 91 quarterback pressures. He is arguably the best defensive player in the NFL, and at 27-years-old and very little injury history, he looks to maintain that dominance for a long time.

Donald has until August 10 to report to training camp, or he could risk his free agency status come 2019.