Aaron Donald’s grin made his answer obvious even before he said it: he expects to suit up for the Los Angeles Rams in Monday night’s home opener against the New York Giants.
“That’s the plan,” Donald said Friday. “That’s what we’re aiming for. We’ll talk through it, but I’m feeling really good.”
A three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year and eight-time All-Pro, Donald returned to the Rams last month after being away from the game for two seasons. He stayed close to the organization during his time off, so the break never felt like a total separation — his main question was simply how long it would take to feel game-ready.
Donald skipped the season-opening trip to Melbourne, Australia and stayed in Southern California to keep preparing. Another week of practice appears to have given him the confidence he needed.
“I feel a lot better after getting more reps in practice instead of just one,” he said. “I’m getting into a groove, understanding things better. I’m looser, playing more freely, and starting to feel like myself again.”
Defensive tackle Kobie Turner said Donald’s likely return injects extra energy into a team trying to bounce back from a 27-7 loss to San Francisco.
“AD is AD,” Turner said. “I’m excited for him to go out and show it Monday, and I’m excited to play alongside him.”
Donald’s presence will add a premier interior pass rusher to help cover for Myles Garrett’s absence; Garrett will miss at least four games while recovering from knee surgery after being acquired in June. That trade helped prompt Donald’s comeback, but the 35-year-old won’t get to share the field with Garrett immediately.
“He won’t be gone forever — let him rest up and get healthy, he’ll be back soon,” Donald said. “We’ll hold it down while he’s out, and when he returns we’ll get rolling.”
Donald doesn’t feel the burden of replacing Garrett thanks to depth on the defensive line, including Turner, Braden Fiske and outside linebacker Byron Young. Still, without Garrett’s presence, offensive lines may focus more multi-man blocking on Donald — something he faced for much of his career while racking up 111 sacks in 154 games.
New York’s coaching staff has been planning as if Donald will play. Giants coach John Harbaugh called him “a game-wrecking type player inside,” noting Donald’s ability to penetrate and disrupt both run and pass plays.
Donald also expects his snap count to be far lower than the 81% usage he saw in 2023. He sees that as an advantage, allowing him to be deployed in clear pass-rush situations and to rotate out when he needs a breather.
“I’m going to go hard, then tap out when I need to and let the next guy go,” he said. “Whatever role they give me, I’m ready.”
The Rams could use whatever Donald offers as they deal with other injuries. Star receiver Puka Nacua missed practice with a hip issue, and his backup Jordan Whittington was sidelined by a quadriceps injury. Nacua has been managing soreness in his psoas muscle, an issue that began after a joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 11.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
Fan Take: Aaron Donald’s return matters because his presence instantly upgrades the Rams’ interior pressure and changes how opponents game-plan, especially with Myles Garrett sidelined. For NFL fans, watching a Hall of Fame-caliber veteran come back after a long layoff is compelling — it tests how much elite skill can overcome rust and could influence how teams value veteran returns going forward.
Source: www.foxsports.com
