Aaron Donald's Comeback Hits the Brakes: Three-Time Defensive Player of the Year Will Miss Rams Season Opener

The Los Angeles Rams will open their season without the defensive lineman everyone thought would make his return from retirement: Aaron Donald won't travel to Melbourne, Australia for Thursday night's game against the San Francisco 49ers, head coach Sean McVay announced Tuesday.

It's the first real speed bump in what had been a storybook August comeback. Donald, who turned 35 in May and walked away from football after the 2023 season, ended his retirement on August 30 following the Rams' blockbuster trade for reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. The pairing of two generational pass rushers sent shockwaves through the NFL. But three weeks later, Donald still isn't ready.

"We're taking this day by day," McVay told reporters. "Aaron's ramp-up process isn't complete. This is about making sure we do this right." The Rams head coach emphasized the team's cautious approach, noting that Donald's nearly two-and-a-half-year layoff requires careful management. The decision to sit Week 1 is about long-term availability, not short-term desperation.

The Rams will lean on Garrett, who came over from Cleveland in one of the summer's most surprising trades, to anchor a defensive line that looks drastically different from the unit that won Super Bowl LVI. Garrett, 30, earned his third consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award in 2025 and showed no signs of decline during training camp. McVay confirmed Tuesday that Garrett is "ready to go" and will start against the 49ers despite dealing with a minor knee issue late in camp.

When Will Donald Actually Play?

McVay wouldn't commit to a specific Week 2 target, but the timeline suggests Donald could make his debut in the home opener against Atlanta on September 15. The extra days between Thursday's opener and Sunday's second game give Donald additional time to complete his conditioning regimen and clear the team's internal benchmarks.

The extended absence underscores the challenge of returning after retirement. Donald retired following the Rams' playoff loss to Detroit in January 2024 and spent the next 30 months away from competitive football. While he reportedly stayed in excellent physical shape during his hiatus, replicating game conditioning at 35 is a steeper climb than most anticipated.

The Rams signed Donald to a restructured one-year deal worth $15 million with performance incentives that could push the total value north of $20 million. That's a significant discount from the $23 million annual average he earned on his previous contract, but the structure reflects both his age and the uncertainty of a comeback.

What It Means for the Rams' Super Bowl Hopes

Los Angeles entered the offseason as a fringe playoff contender in a loaded NFC West. The Garrett trade and Donald's return were supposed to vault them into championship contention. Missing Donald for Week 1 doesn't derail that plan, but it does reset expectations. The 49ers are favored by seven points in Australia, and that spread would have been narrower with Donald in the lineup.

Still, the Rams are playing the long game. They don't need Donald for 17 regular-season games. They need him for January. If sitting Week 1 ensures he's fresh for a playoff push, McVay and general manager Les Snead will gladly absorb a September loss or two.

The bigger question is whether Donald can recapture his Hall of Fame form. He was the NFL's most disruptive interior lineman for a decade, winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2017, 2018, and 2020. But Father Time doesn't care about resumes. Plenty of greats have tried comebacks and looked ordinary. Donald's first game back—whenever it happens—will tell us whether his retirement was permanent or just a long sabbatical.

For now, the Rams will open the season without one of their two superstar defenders. It's not the debut anyone imagined when Donald ended his retirement three weeks ago. But if it keeps him healthy for December and January, nobody in Los Angeles will complain.