Sean McVay Says Aaron Donald Comeback Is ‘Trending Upward’

Rams head coach Sean McVay says that Super Bowl winner Aaron Donald will likely join the team at the end of the training camp.

Sean McVay Says Aaron Donald Comeback Is ‘Trending Upward’

Aaron Donald (Image via IMAGO)

The Los Angeles Rams fans may have to wait to hear anything positive on Aaron Donald. Head coach Sean McVay remains confident that the 3x Defensive Player of the Year will return to the Rams at some point, but doesn’t want to put a deadline on it.

The return of Aaron Donald gained steam when the Rams announced the signing of reigning DPOY Myles Garrett. McVay confided that he took Donald’s opinion before agreeing to the trade.

McVay further revealed that he has been in direct contact with Donald ever since, and Donald wants to unretire and play for the Rams one more time. A couple of months have passed since the Rams unveiled Garrett to LA fans, but Donald’s whereabouts remain unclear.

Donald trained at the Rams facility last month for an hour and, according to McVay, has been undergoing a strict conditioning regimen to match the Rams’ training pattern. Many had speculated that Donald would join the Rams at spring training camp at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in Los Angeles, California. However, two days have gone by without Donald making an appearance.

When reporters asked McVay about Donald’s comeback, the Super Bowl winner promptly delivered disappointing news. McVay revealed that “things are going in the right direction,” but Donald would like to join the team when they return to their Woodland Hills practice facility.

There’s some conversations that we’ve had. We’ve loosely had some different timelines that are kind of temporary. I want to keep those between us, just if something unforeseen happens, out of respect for him and the situation. But I know this, things are going in the right direction, and if there’s an arrow, it’s trending upwards.

Sean McVay said (H/T Rams official website)

ESPN’s Adam Schefter earlier teased that Donald might skip the training camp entirely or attend it toward the end.

If [Aaron Donald] does show up, it would probably even be to the end of training camp or maybe even be.

Schefter said

Donald spent ten seasons with the Rams, from 2014 to 2023. He won a ring in 2021. Donald accumulated 340 tackles, 111 sacks, 176 TFLs, 21 passes defensed, 24 forced fumbles and seven forced returns. He retired in March 2024.

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Myles Garrett sends clear message to Aaron Donald

One of the players who is itching to play alongside Donald is Myles Garrett. Garrett is among the top edge rushers in the game, but there are some things even he wants to learn from AD.

Sean McVay Says Aaron Donald Comeback Is ‘Trending Upward’
Aaron Donald (Image via IMAGO)

Speaking at the Rams camp, Garrett gave a blunt answer when asked about linking with Donald in 2026.

Someone who, as great as [Aaron Donald] is, I think he can definitely come back and do it. It’s just whether he wants to do that for however many games he chooses to play… I’d love to pick his brain on the kind of things he does to attack his matchups. And I think the same could be said vice versa.

Myles Garrett said

The Rams traded two-time Pro Bowl edge Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-round pick to the Cleveland Browns to acquire Garrett. The reigning DPOY and two-time league’s best defender set the single-season sack record last year, which he is determined to break.

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