Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Myles Garrett isn’t going to push retired star Aaron Donald to come out of retirement, but sees the potential for the Rams’ defense if the two team up. Garrett talked about that possibility Wednesday, saying he believes the pair “can do great things,” per ESPN.
That’s probably an understatement. Garrett is arguably the best defensive end in the NFL right now. Prior to his retirement after the 2023 NFL season, Donald held that title.
Advertisement
Despite the temptation to plead with Donald about coming back, Garrett said he’s going to let the eight-time All-Pro weigh all his options, per ESPN.
“I don’t want to push him in one way or another,” Garrett said Wednesday. “If he’s here, I’m going to be excited to be his teammate, his partner in crime. And I think we can do great things, but it’s a difficult thing coming back, and I know he has a family. He has a lot of decisions to make.”
Rumors emerged suggesting Donald could come out of retirement shortly after the Rams acquired Garrett in a trade with the Cleveland Browns. While Donald hasn’t reached a decision yet, Rams head coach Sean McVay discussed the possibility Saturday, saying Donald is “going through his process” of making a decision.
Garrett added Wednesday that re-acclimating to the NFL is a challenge, and it will be up to Donald to figure out if he can get his conditioning back ahead of the season. Garrett also threw out the possibility that Donald could potentially choose to come back for a select amount of games if he’s not up for playing the entire season.
“And someone who, as great as he 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.”
The Rams signaled with the Garrett trade in June that it was Super Bowl or bust in 2026. The team gave up three draft picks and promising youngster Jared Verse in the deal. With quarterback Matthew Stafford nearing the end of his career, the trade very much felt like a last-ditch effort to win one more Super Bowl title before Stafford calls it a career.
Advertisement
If Donald comes back at anything close to form, it would go a long way toward the Rams accomplishing that goal. Donald was plenty productive in his final season in the NFL, picking up eight sacks in 16 games and earning an All-Pro nod.
Garrett, meanwhile, is coming off a record-breaking season, in which he registered 23 sacks for the Browns.
That pair teaming up could cause massive headaches for opposing offenses … and could be more than enough to deliver one more ring to the franchise before it enters its next era.
Comments
Advertisement