Rams' McVay Message Ignites Aaron Donald Chatter
The Los Angeles Rams acquired NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett on June 1 in a blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Browns.
Soon, they may add another former DPOY to their team.
On June 2, while introducing Garrett to the Los Angeles media after the trade became official, Rams head coach Sean McVay confirmed that he's been talking to Aaron Donald about a potential return to the football field.
Related: Rams, Browns Garrett Trade a Win-Win Deal
If Donald does come back, it would put the Rams over the top in their hunt for the Super Bowl.
I bet you he could still do it at a pretty high clip."
"Aaron's a guy that I stay really close in touch with, and I know the respect that he has for Myles. Talked to him about the opportunity to be able to bring him on board. If Aaron decides that he wants to dust them off at the age of 35, I bet you he could still do it at a pretty high clip," McVay said.
Aaron Donald is a Future NFL Hall of Famer
Regardless of what he does, if he decides to return to football, Donald is already one of the best defensive players in NFL history.
The then-St. Louis Rams selected Donald with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft out of Pittsburgh, and he turned into a franchise cornerstone as the team made the move to Los Angeles in 2016.
Over his 10 seasons in the NFL, Donald won three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, was a Pro Bowler every single season he played, and was named a First-Team All-Pro eight times. He was also the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year in his debut season.
In 154 career NFL games, Donald racked up 111 sacks, 543 tackles, and had 24 forced fumbles. But most importantly, he helped the Rams win the Super Bowl in 2022.
Donald is currently eligible to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2029, and he will be a first-ballot inductee if he stays retired. But if he comes out of retirement, it would reset his HOF eligibility clock, just like what happened to Philip Rivers last year.
For Donald, though, the chance to win another Super Bowl in L.A. might make that worth it.
Donald is a winner through and through, and the Rams would be lucky to have him back in the fold. Even without him coming back, the Rams are an incredible team on paper. But if Donald does return, it puts the team over the top in its pursuit of the Super Bowl.
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The Rams Are the Super Bowl Favorites Right Now
Following the trade for Garrett, the Rams are now the Super Bowl favorites to win it all in 2027.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Rams are +600 to win the Super Bowl, which is the best odds of any team to capture the Vince Lombardi Trophy, with the Buffalo Bills next up at +1000.
If the team brings Donald back, expect those odds to shrink even more.
The Rams re-signed MVP QB Matthew Stafford to a one-year contract extension in May, giving the team essentially a two-year window to win another Super Bowl before he likely steps into retirement.
Acquiring Garrett made the Rams the favorite to win their third Super Bowl in franchise history, and the second since the team moved back to Los Angeles.
But if they were to bring Donald back into the fold, it would absolutely put this team over the top. If that happened, then anything less than a Super Bowl would be seen as a major disappointment. That may already be the case.
The Rams play in a stacked division, as the NFC West is already home to the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, a strong contender in the San Francisco 49ers, and a team that could be on the rise in the Arizona Cardinals.
But with Garrett now in the fold, the Rams are the best team in the division on paper, and adding Donald would make them even more dangerous than they already appear to be.
Related: Rams Answer QB Uncertainty With $55M Matthew Stafford Decision
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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 8:15 AM.