Aaron Donald, three-time DPOY and Super Bowl champion announces retirement from NFL after 10 seasons

Donald walks away as one of the greatest defensive players in league history.

Aaron Donald, three-time DPOY and Super Bowl champion announces retirement from NFL after 10 seasons

Aaron Donald (via Sky Sports)

The Los Angeles Rams have lost their strongest pillar on defense. Aaron Donald, the defensive tackle who has been haunting quarterbacks for the better part of the last decade, announced his decision to retire from the game of football after playing 10 seasons in the NFL. 

His decision comes at a time when he continues to be regarded as one of the best defensive players in the league.

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Aaron Donald announced his decision via a heartfelt post on Instagram and X. He thanked the Rams organization and the fanbase for their continued support throughout his career. His decision, albeit sudden, was not entirely unexpected. 

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For the last two years, there have been doubts regarding his return in the following seasons as rumors about his intention to walk away from the game gained traction. 

He happened to send the Los Angeles Rams a letter revealing his intent to retire in the 2022 offseason, but that never made its way to the league. The Rams managed to restructure his contract and make him the highest-paid defensive player in league history. Since then, he has kept putting his decision off until now.

Aaron Donald walks away from the game, being one of the few players in league history to have stayed with one team for the entirety of his career. Donald has earned a reputation for being the hardest worker in the room, and his training and commitment to the game of football are nothing short of inspiring. 

Aaron Donald walks away from the game of football as one of the greatest defensive players ever

In 2022, Aaron Donald played just 11 games, but this year, he played in 16 games and recorded 53 tackles along with 8 sacks. In his career, the defensive tackle is just the second player in league history to have recorded over 100 career sacks; he has 111 to his credit. 

Aaron Donald
Aaron Donald (Image via The Athletic)

In addition to this, Donald has won the AP Defensive Player of the Year honors three times and has made the first-team All-Pro eight times.

He is a Super Bowl champion as well. While the numbers scream ‘greatness’, it would be criminal to restrict the impact he had on the football field to just the figures. When he stepped on the field, the offense knew what they were up against. 

Quarterbacks shuddered to go up against him and prayed that the hits they’d take from him would not end up putting an end to their season. Donald is a beast who toyed with offensive linemen.

To watch him throw them around, even after being doubled, was a sight neither fans nor coaches in the league are accustomed to seeing. In an era where the defense in the NFL is being dubbed soft, Aaron Donald was a breath of fresh air because he represents sheer physicality and power. 

The defensive tackle will now shift his energy into other avenues, but given his hardworking nature, it can be said with certainty that he will achieve the same level of success he did in the NFL!

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