Aaron Donald has watched the last two NFL seasons from the comfort of his couch, even taking a nap on Sunday afternoons from time to time. But his Sundays this fall could look much different. They could resemble the ones he went through from 2014-2023 as a member of the Rams, wreaking havoc on game days.
Donald is considering a return after two years in retirement, and while some question how good he’ll still be after last playing in 2023, Rams GM Les Snead thinks there are benefits. On The 33rd Team’s “Check The Mic” podcast, he said it’s “only been two years,” and his body could feel better now than it did when he first retired.
“Here’s what I do know: I think if Aaron decides to come back, he will have enough data points between the moment he started thinking about it to the time he says yes or no,” Snead said. “But if he does say yes, he will feel like he – at least on grass working out – he’s pretty close to the person who last played. And that is the fortunate thing. It’s only been two years. There are some benefits where he’s probably – there’s some joints in his body that feel better now than when he left, so there’s some benefits with that, too.”
Rams fans are constantly needing to pinch themselves to make sure they aren’t dreaming about the possibility of Donald and Myles Garrett on the same defensive line, and Snead almost has to do the same thing. It’s such a crazy idea that it almost feels like a simulation to him.
“So it is one of those situations where you really think, ‘Is this simulation?’ You’re into quantum physics. You’re like, ‘This seems like a simulation that I’m dreaming about,’” he added. “Like, ‘Oh, Aaron Donald might be coming back after we trade for Myles Garrett.’ Let’s call it like it is. It’s one of those things that should occur. The NFL gods should come together and make this happen.”
The only people who don’t want to see Donald and Garrett on the same defensive line are the guys who have to try blocking them this year. For just about everyone else, it’s something that feels too good to be true.
It’s now up to Donald to make those dreams a reality.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Les Snead sees benefits to Aaron Donald being out of NFL for 2 years
