What does Aaron Donald's return mean for Rams? We answer 6 questions

LOS ANGELES -- Aaron Donald is back.

The future Hall of Fame defensive lineman, who initially retired in March 2024 after 10 NFL seasons, has announced his return to the Los Angeles Rams after spending two seasons in retirement.

The move came after the Rams traded for reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett in June and pairs the top two players in the NFL in tackles since 2015. The Rams are the only team to enter the season with multiple players who won multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards, according to ESPN Research.

Donald returns on a one-year, $20 million deal that with incentives could be worth up to $30 million, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport. Donald joins an already star-studded defense that, in addition to Garrett, includes cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, outside linebacker Byron Young and defensive tackle Kobie Turner. The Rams were already the Super Bowl favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook before Donald's return.

So, what does this mean for the Rams, Donald and the rest of the NFL? Rams reporter Sarah Barshop, NFL national reporter Jeremy Fowler and NFL analyst Ben Solak answer the most pressing questions.

What does Donald's return mean for Garrett and the rest of the Rams' defense?

When they are on the field together, Donald and Garrett will force opposing offenses to make a tough decision.

According to ESPN Analytics/NFL Next Gen Stats, the pair are Nos. 1 and 2 in pass rush wins since 2017, which was Garrett's rookie season. Despite not playing over the past two seasons, Donald still holds the No. 2 spot, even though he was double-teamed on the fourth-most pass rush plays in the NFL since 2017. His 276 pass rush wins against double-teams are still by far the most in the league since 2017.

Garrett has been double-teamed on the second-most pass rush plays specifically among edge rushers since 2017, trailing only Denico Autry.

Garrett and Donald's pass rush win rate also impacts the entire defense. According to ESPN Analytics/NFL Next Gen Stats, Garrett has created 244 incompletions from pass rush wins in his career, the most in the NFL since 2017. Donald ranks third in that category. -- Barshop

What will Donald's workload look like?

While Rams coach Sean McVay had been clear that if Donald unretires he will want to be "all-in," it seems unlikely that he will return to playing a high percentage of snaps in his return. Donald would likely be in spots in which he could be the most impactful, perhaps playing 20-25 snaps a game on mostly pass-rushing downs. -- Barshop

What are the challenges of unretiring after two seasons?

Garrett said he thought the hardest part would be "getting back to that tempo." The defensive end said it's a challenge just trying to get back into football shape when he returns from the offseason, working to get his wind and legs back.

"When you get on the field and things are flying around, you've got to find a way to get your conditioning back to slow down the game once more," Garrett said.

When asked about the specific challenges for a defensive tackle, Turner pointed to the "violence" of the game.

"Nowhere else in the world are you used to taking on 600 pounds worth on double-teams and being able to put your foot in the ground and get going," Turner said. "There's just a lot of wear and tear, and it's such a precise and violent game in the trenches. It's like every little thing that you do is violent. It's precise. It's 'how am I working my hands? How am I also working my feet?' ... I don't know that you ever fully lose it, but you have to resharpen your tools." -- Barshop

What does this mean for the Rams' salary cap?

The Rams had $15.45 million in available cap space prior to cutting their roster to 53 players, which has to happen by 6 p.m. ET on Sunday. The Rams could make Donald's contract fit under the cap and still have the money to get through the season, whether that's by giving him incentives that are designated not likely to be earned (meaning they would count against next year's cap), or giving him most of the money as a signing bonus and adding void years to spread out the cap hit. -- Barshop

True or false: Donald is once again the best defensive tackle in the league.

False ... for now. Donald led by a wide margin as the game's premier defensive tackle, so regaining that status two-plus years after retirement should still be attainable. But it's not a slam dunk. Even Donald has enough respect for the game to know how tough it is to roll out of bed at age 35 and dominate. But after an acclimation period and some game reps, can he return to one-of-one status? Probably. He has kept himself in phenomenal shape, and the Rams can manage his workload so that he's a late-season closer. -- Fowler

In a Super Bowl or bust season, how does Donald's return affect the Rams' chances?

The cool thing about Donald's return is, yes, this is Super Bowl or bust -- in the sense of how the Rams will use him. Donald is a 35-year-old defensive tackle who is two-plus years removed from his last NFL action. He is going to be a rotational player largely used as a pass-rush specialist, and I'd expect the Rams to keep his snap count well below that of starters Poona Ford and Kobie Turner as he slowly acclimates to football speed.

So Donald's greatest impact will be in punishing offensive lines that direct too many pass protection resources in Garrett's direction, and those particular matchup-hunting moments will be more impactful in postseason ball. The Rams will be able to outclass most of their regular-season opponents without Donald's thumb on the scale. If the margin between the Rams and Seahawks was razor thin last season, the Donald addition could quite literally flip the result of the eventual division title and NFC champion with just one third-down sack or drive-ending tackle for loss. -- Solak