Aaron Donald is back.
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year is ending his retirement and will rejoin the Los Angeles Rams for the 2026 season, the team announced Sunday.
Donald is signing a one-year, $20-million contract that can reach up to $30 million with incentives, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Rams organization reportedly had doubts that Donald would come out of retirement when he left their facilities earlier Sunday. He notified them of his decision a few hours later.
The 10-time Pro Bowler confirmed the news in an Instagram video with the caption, "We back."
Donald, who retired following the 2023 campaign, began considering a comeback after the Rams traded for two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett in a blockbuster deal in June.
Los Angeles now has one of the most feared pass-rushing duos in recent memory, with Garrett on the edge and Donald on the interior. Donald registered a league-leading 111 sacks during his first NFL stint from 2014 to 2023. Since Garrett entered the league in 2017, no player has recorded more sacks than his 125.5.
Together, the two stars have combined for 236.5 sacks, 47 forced fumbles, 325 tackles for loss, 17 Pro Bowl invites, 13 first-team All-Pro selections, and five Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Donald helped Los Angeles secure a Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium, where he made the game-clinching play by forcing Joe Burrow to throw an incompletion on fourth down. This season's Super Bowl will also be held at SoFi Stadium for the first time since that game.
In addition to Donald and Garrett, the Rams' defensive front is also supported by linemen Braden Fiske, Kobie Turner, and edge rusher Byron Young, who led L.A. in sacks (12) last year.
The Rams made another splash earlier this offseason by sending a haul of draft picks, including a 2026 first-round selection, to the Kansas City Chiefs for cornerback Trent McDuffie. They also signed his former teammate Jaylen Watson in free agency to play across from him in the secondary.
Los Angeles will kick off its season in Australia on Sept. 10 against the San Francisco 49ers.
