Sports

Aaron Donald and the Greatest Un-Retirements in NFL History

By Andrew Perloff Athlon Sports

Updated June 12, 2026 5:01 AM

Aaron Donald potentially coming out of retirement is less of an anomaly than you might think. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Donald is "more likely than not" to return to the NFL. The former Rams star would follow a long line of Hall of Fame-caliber players who came back to the sport. Based on history, age and the team he's joining, Donald has a chance to make this comeback a huge success.

Donald retired after the 2023 season, in which he had eight sacks and Pro Football Focus gave him the second-highest grade in the league for interior defensive linemen. At 32, he said he had accomplished enough. But Los Angeles' trade for Myles Garrett presents an opportunity that Donald might not be able to resist. The Rams are already Vegas favorites to win the Super Bowl. The combo of Donald and Garrett would pose significant problems for opposing offenses.

Players hoping to pull off the un-retirement need the right situation. Recent attempts have had mixed results. Philip Rivers' three-game run last season in Indy was fun, but he was 0-3. Brandon Graham came back for the Eagles last season, but failed to fix a messy locker room. And Jason Witten returned to the gridiron seemingly because his broadcasting career was going poorly.

Donald is only 35 and is arguably the best-positioned retiree to put his cleats back on and thrive. We'll see if 37-year-old Russell Wilson gets any calls because of injuries this season, even though he's working for CBS. Derek Carr is another intriguing option. The now-35-year-old QB retired before the '25 season because of health issues. But he was reportedly looking at potential playing opportunities this offseason.

Although he keeps insisting he's done, why not 37-year-old J.J. Watt? Watt is fantastic in the TV booth, but maybe Donald could inspire him. Or 38-year-old Jason Kelce, who was never in the best physical shape to start with. The ultimate comeback would be 48-year-old Tom Brady. Considering he will advertise anything on television or go anywhere for a card signing, perhaps the GOAT needs the money. Sounds crazy, but who would have expected Rivers to come back after four years coaching high school?

If Donald joins the Rams, expect him to enter the conversation for the greatest comeback in NFL history. It's not an easy list to crack. Even Deion Sanders and Reggie White - both of whom tried - fell short for my ranking of the top 10 players to flip-flop and return to the NFL after retiring…

1. John Riggins

John Riggins walked away from Washington at 30, before the 1980 season, because the team would not renegotiate his $300,000 per year salary. He returned in '81 and won Super Bowl MVP for his 166-yard performance against the Miami Dolphins in 1982. He also delivered the best un-retirement quote while explaining his decision to reporters: "I'm bored, I'm broke, and I'm back." Riggins officially retired after the '85 season.

Randall Cunningham in action for the Minnesota Vikings in 1997. (7) in action against the Seattle Seahawks during the 1997. (US PRESSWIRE)

2. Randall Cunningham

Randall Cunningham retired at 32 after losing his job in Philadelphia in '95, and went to work for his wife's marble company in Las Vegas. Minnesota Vikings coach Dennis Green convinced Cunningham to return as a backup in '97, setting the stage for a 15-1 run as a starter in ‘98. If the reliable Gary Anderson didn't miss a field goal in the NFC title game, then Cunningham would have gone to his first Super Bowl. When he first retired, he was considered the greatest running QB in history. In Minnesota, Cunningham had his best season as a passer, in part because he was throwing to rookie Randy Moss.

3. Brett Favre

Brett Favre's first retirement from Green Bay would not have made this list because he came back to join the Jets and was unspectacular. But it was his second retirement after New York that set up his ‘09 renaissance in Minnesota. Favre threw 33 TDs and just 7 INTs for a career-high 107.2 passer rating and led the Vikings to the NFC title game. Favre should have retired again right after that season, but held on for one more injury-plagued year.

4. George Blanda

The future Hall of Famer walked away at age 31 in 1959 after losing the starting quarterback job with the Chicago Bears and being relegated to only kicking. He came back to the AFL in 1960 to play quarterback for the Houston Oilers, leading them to the new league's first two titles. He went on to play 16 more seasons with success at both quarterback and kicker. At 43, he helped the Oakland Raiders reach the AFC title game, filling in at QB. Blanda finally retired for real at age 48.

5. Ed "Too Tall" Jones

The Cowboys defensive end left football to pursue a boxing career after the 1978 season. He went 6-0 as a boxer but returned in 1980 and was named an All-Pro three times before retiring for good in '90.

Rob Gronkowski with the Buccaneers Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

6. Rob Gronkowski

After multiple injuries, Rob Gronkowski retired from the Patriots before the 2019 season. But after a year off, he decided to join Tom Brady in Tampa. Gronk had an adequate season - 45 catches for 623 yards. But he came up big in the playoffs with a key fourth-quarter catch in the NFC title game against the Packers and two touchdowns against the Chiefs in the Bucs' Super Bowl victory.

7. Eric Weddle

The six-time Pro Bowl safety first retired after the 2019 season with the Rams. When Los Angeles lost its two starting safeties at the end of the '21 regular season, it called Weddle for a memorable postseason run. Weddle came off the couch and led the Rams in tackles in the NFC title game against the 49ers. He tore a pec muscle in the Super Bowl win over the Bengals, but still stayed on the field the whole game.

8. Frank Gifford

The long-time New York Giants star retired after being on the wrong end of a play that became known as "the hit." The Eagles' Chuck Bednarik took down Gifford with a brutal clothesline in a regular-season game in 1960. After a year in the TV booth, Gifford was cleared by doctors to play and came back as a receiver. He caught seven touchdowns in '62, helping the Giants reach the NFL championship game.

9. Bronko Nagurski

Short of players because of World War II, coach George Halas called the Hall of Fame fullback back to Chicago after a six-year hiatus. Nagurski mostly played offensive and defensive tackle, but returned to fullback in the 1943 championship game to help the Bears beat Washington, 41-21.

10. Tom Brady

Brady's first retirement lasted just 40 days and he returned to Tampa Bay with high expectations in '22. He was able to put up decent numbers - 4,694 passing yards, 25 TDs and 9 INTs. But the Bucs fell to 8-9 and lost in the wild-card round. For a mere mortal, that would have been a satisfying return. For Brady, the extra season was a disappointment.

Near misses: Russ Francis, Marshawn Lynch, Reggie White, Deion Sanders, Ricky Williams

This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 4:46 AM.