It wasn't long after the Los Angeles Rams landed Myles Garrett in a blockbuster trade in June that Aaron Donald started teasing the possibility of a return from retirement. On Sunday, that finally came to fruition as Donald rejoined the team he helped win Super Bowl LVI.
With a one-year, $20-million deal that brings Donald back after a two-year hiatus from football, the Rams now boast a duo that have collectively claimed five of the last nine NFL Defensive Player of the Year Awards. It's an embarrassment of riches for a roster that was already one of the NFL's best before the additions of Garrett and Donald.
So are the Rams as unstoppable as it seems? In the NFL, it's rarely that simple.
Injuries are always a threat to spoil the best-laid plans of stacked rosters. Los Angeles is relying on 38-year-old Matthew Stafford and 33-year-old Davante Adams to keep producing elite numbers. Turning to Garrett and Donald, two more players in their 30s, to elevate the defense won't mitigate the risks that typically come with aging veterans.
Adding Donald certainly shouldn't hurt their chances, though.
Sure, it's hard to imagine Donald is capable of once again being the game-wrecker he was during the height of his career. During a five-season run from 2017 to 2021, Donald recorded 70 sacks, 93 tackles for loss, and 19 forced fumbles. It was among the most dominant runs by any defensive lineman in NFL history. But he wasn't quite as scary in his final two seasons.
While Donald was still among the league's best defensive tackles, he was no longer head and shoulders above his peers when he recorded a career-low five sacks in 11 games during an injury-shortened 2022 campaign. A year later, he had eight sacks in 16 games before hanging up the cleats. Now, he'll return to action at age 35.
A comeback for the ages shouldn't be counted out entirely. Donald spent his career outworking, outhustling, and outmuscling opponents. No one should be surprised when he shows up in phenomenal shape with bad intentions for opposing quarterbacks. But one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL? That's a tough ask.
Does it matter either way, though?
Even if Donald is merely a mediocre player in his mid-30s, he'll be a rotational piece on a Rams defense that will primarily ask Garrett, fresh off the best pass-rushing season in NFL history, to lead the way. Starting defensive linemen Poona Ford and Kobie Turner will likely get the brunt of the snaps and L.A.'s third-year defensive end Braden Fiske will get plenty of opportunities to return to form after a sophomore slump.
The Rams are probably hoping that Donald can find effectiveness as more of a pass-rushing specialist. After averaging well over 50 snaps per game throughout his career, a package of closer to 30 snaps per outing makes more sense. And with Garrett likely to draw double-teams from opposing offenses, L.A. will also hope that Donald can make the most of the opportunity to avoid the double-teams he so often dealt with earlier in his career.
Ultimately, it's the Rams' offense that will dictate just how much of a juggernaut the team can be in 2026. Last year, that unit led the league in scoring and yardage, paving the way for a 12-5 record. That campaign came to an end when the L.A. defense couldn't keep the Seattle Seahawks' Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba in check during a 31-27 loss in the NFC title game.
A new and improved defense should erase that deficiency … theoretically. In addition to Garrett and Donald, the Rams also acquired cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, a duo that thrived together with the Kansas City Chiefs. But if the offense can't continue to be a top-five unit, it'll be difficult for the Rams to live up to their lofty expectations, no matter what the defense looks like.
Does that make a defense with Garrett and Donald any less scary for opposing offenses? Nope. But it's still far too early to say the Rams can't be stopped in 2026.
Adam Stites is a contributing writer for theScore.
