Los Angeles Rams make Aaron Donald retirement official

Training camps around the NFL got underway this week. And the start of the 2024 campaign is almost here. Many LA Rams fans were still holding out a glimmer of hope that Aaron Donald might be coming back for one more year. On Friday evening, the franchise officially closed the door on those hopes. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the LA Rams officially placed the future Hall of Famer on the reserved/retired list.

The move was merely a formality as Donald officially announced he was retiring back in March, after 10 years of cementing his legacy as one of the greatest defenders ever to play in the NFL. He routinely made plays in his career that left fans shaking their heads with his superhuman strength and power. Like this one, when he smashed into two Cowboys’ offensive lineman, knocked both of them down, then drilled Dak Prescott, all in the same play.

He wrapped up his prolific career with 111 sacks, 176 tackles for loss, and 543 total tackles. From 2014-2023, Donald played in a total of 154 games, starting 150 of those. Donald also led the Rams to a Super Bowl title in 2022 over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Back in March, Donald wrote his official retirement statement on Twitter. “Cheers to what’s next. Extending a big thank you to the Rams and all of the fans for your support over these last 10 years. Much love.”

The 32-year old added these thoughts.

“For 10 years, I have been fortunate to play the game of football at the highest level. I’m thankful for the people I’ve met along the way, the friendships I’ve built and the things I’ve accomplished with my teammates and individually.” 

Aaron Donald wraps up an unbelievable NFL career

Donald was an undersized, but dominating defensive tackle. He won NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times. And he made the Pro Bowl in each of his ten seasons, all spent with the Rams. In eight of those seasons, including last year, Donald was an All-Pro. To put his Pro Bowl stint into perspective, the only other player in league history to do so was Barry Sanders.

Although the announcement seemed shocking, Aaron Donald has hinted before that he was leaving the game. The speculation started after the Rams won the Super Bowl two years ago in front of the home crowd at SoFi Stadium. He dazzled in that game, sacking Joe Burrow twice, then hurrying him into an incompletion on the Bengals final offensive snap.

LA Rams coach Sean McVay lauded Donald in a statement.

“The great players in our league elevate the people around them and Aaron has modeled the way for our team as long as I’ve been with the Rams,” McVay said. “He’s an elite competitor, someone who leads by example in a way that’s authentic to him, and an exceptional teammate who inspires everyone around him to be the best version of themselves.

McVay continued “As great of a player he is, he’s an even better person. He is truly one of one and epitomizes everything that’s right about sports. I will forever cherish the memories we’ve made and will always be grateful for how he poured everything into this game and into our team. He’s meant a lot to me personally and to my family.”

On3’s Suzanne Halliburton also contributed to this article.