After the Rams traded for defensive end Myles Garrett, a wave of chatter emerged that the move could lure Aaron Donald out of a two-year retirement. Since then, the talk has largely subsided.
It’s heating up again.
Here’s something we found this morning, thanks to an item published earlier today by EssentiallySports.com. On Friday, the NFL on Clutch Points account on Instagram posted an image of Donald wearing a pair of Super Bowl rings. Posted beneath it was a lengthy message that said, among other things, “The thought of pairing Garrett’s unstoppable edge presence with Donald’s historic interior dominance is turning a hypothetical dream into a reality. . . . Putting them on the same defensive line feels completely unfair to every offensive coordinator and quarterback in the league.”
Scrolling through the comments, one stands out: Donald himself reacted to the post with the wide eyes emoji.
The day after the Garrett trade, Donald told Pat McAfee that the move “sure got me thinking,” adding that Donald needs to “see if that fire can light back up.” One month and one day later, Donald, who could have simply stayed quiet, dropped a hint that the flame may now be flickering.
The Rams have made it clear that they’d welcome Donald back. Why wouldn’t they? Yes, he’s 35. But Donald has two fewer years of wear and tear that any other 35-year-old defensive lineman would have. And he previously was so good that it took two, and often three, blockers to slow him down.
That becomes much harder to do, with Garrett on the defensive line. It would be pick your poison time for all opposing offenses. And it would make the Rams and an even stronger favorite to get back to the Super Bowl (currently, +295), which will again be played in their home stadium, and win it (currently, +550).
Frankly, anything less than a berth in Super Bowl LXI would be viewed as a disappointment, if they can put Donald and Garrett on the field together — and if the team’s cluster of thirtysomething stars can stay healthy for the long haul.
