THE AGE OF UNRETIREMENT

By Lane C.

Staff Writer

Good afternoon. Aaron Donald is in the NFL again.

Donald, possibly the greatest defensive tackle to ever play the game, adds even more star power to a high-octane Los Angeles Ram team which added two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett in June. Donald last played in the 2023 season before his relatively early retirement. He recorded eight sacks.

Donald has signed a one-year deal worth $20 million, though added playoff incentives could see him make up to $30 million. Under normal circumstances, a team paying this much for a player who hasn’t seen the field since 2024 would be considered a reach. Donald, in any form, is no reach. He is tied for the most Defensive Player of the Year awards in history with three, along with J.J. Watt and Lawrence Taylor. In only 10 seasons, he was selected first-team All-Pro a whopping eight times. All of this to say, Aaron Donald on a down year is still one of the most imposing forces in the league.

The Rams are clearly going all in, and adding Donald to a line that already includes Garrett could be an opposing QB’s nightmare. If both are healthy, there will be very little room for error on the offensive side of rival teams.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Odell Beckham Jr. has returned to the New York Giants. This team can’t keep healthy. Jaxson Dart has proven to be a regular at the concussion tent. Cam Skattebo runs into walls headfirst for his own enjoyment. Do we think a 33-year-old coming off of multiple leg injuries can steer this ship? Hit my email if not, but I don’t believe he is the man to push them over the hump.