Aaron Donald came out of retirement Sunday to rejoin the Los Angeles Rams, but there's no guarantee he'll be on the field in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers.
Head coach Sean McVay said it's possible that Donald won't travel with the team to Australia for the Rams' season opener Sept. 10.
"Oh, yeah, absolutely," McVay told reporters Monday when asked if there's a scenario in which Donald doesn't accompany the team to Melbourne. "That could be a possibility. I wouldn't rule anything out yet."
Donald expressed confidence in his fitness level Monday, stating that he's stayed in shape and his trainer told him he hasn't "missed a step." Still, McVay indicated that he wouldn't push Donald to play if he's not completely ready.
"If he's able to go, great. If not, that's kind of how we've been operating as is," McVay said. "And guys have done an excellent job of being able to do some really cool stuff in the meantime. And so, if he's not ready and that's not what's best for him and for the team, absolutely wouldn't have him play in Australia unnecessarily."
Donald, 35, hasn't played since the 2023 season. He recorded eight sacks, 23 quarterback hits, and 16 tackles for loss in 16 games with the Rams in that campaign while earning his eighth first-team All-Pro nod.
