Aaron Donald ends his 2 1/2-year retirement and returns to the Los Angeles Rams

LOS ANGELES — Aaron Donald has returned to the Los Angeles Rams, ending his retirement after 2 1/2 years to join Myles Garrett on their defensive line.

The Rams announced the 35-year-old Donald’s decision Sunday following several weeks of discussion, preparation and intensive workouts for the star defensive lineman.

Donald became one of the greatest defensive players of his era during his first 10 seasons spent entirely with the Rams in St. Louis and Los Angeles. He won three AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards while earning 10 Pro Bowl selections, eight All-Pro selections and a Super Bowl ring before he retired somewhat abruptly in March 2024.

After two years in retirement with his family, Donald began to entertain the notion of a comeback after the Rams traded for Garrett, one of Donald’s few peers in contemporary defensive line play. Donald and Garrett have combined to win five of the AP’s past nine Defensive Player of the Year awards, including two of the past three for Garrett with the Cleveland Browns.

Donald’s return adds another force to the Rams’ stacked roster as they attempt to win their second NFL title during coach Sean McVay’s successful decade in charge.

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business