The Aaron Donald comeback saga continues to provide more and more smoke.
According to NFL insider Adam Schefter via the NFL’s transaction wire, Donald has completed his second official workout with the Los Angeles Rams, adding another chapter to what has become one of the biggest NFL storylines of the summer. Schefter reported the latest development on Sunday, providing another indication that Donald is seriously considering a return to the team where he built a Hall of Fame career.
Donald’s first official workout with the Rams came earlier this month after the three-time Defensive Player of the Year returned to the team’s facility. That workout was significant enough that the Rams were required to report his participation to the NFL because he was using team equipment.
Now, a second official workout has been reported by Los Angeles.
The Rams have already assembled a potentially dominant defense, highlighted by the blockbuster addition of Myles Garrett. Adding Donald to a defensive line featuring Garrett, Kobie Turner, Poona Ford, and the rest of Los Angeles’ talented front could completely change the ceiling of the unit. Donald retired after the 2023 season with 111 career sacks and eight first-team All-Pro selections, leaving little doubt about what he accomplished during his decade with the Rams.
And the clock is beginning to tick.
There are now 25 days until the Rams open the regular season against the San Francisco 49ers on September 10 in Melbourne, Australia. The Week 1 matchup is scheduled for the Melbourne Cricket Ground and will be the Rams’ first regular-season game of the 2026 season.
Despite that approaching deadline, head coach Sean McVay isn’t putting one on Donald.
McVay recently said he does not want to put an “invisible deadline” on Donald’s decision. While the Rams would obviously love to know whether their franchise legend plans to return, McVay has emphasized that Donald needs the space to make the decision on his own timeline. McVay did add that he hopes a decision comes “sooner than later”.
That patience could ultimately be important. Donald has already accomplished virtually everything a player can accomplish, so this decision is about more than football. He has to determine whether he wants to put his body through another NFL season and whether another Super Bowl pursuit is worth coming out of retirement.
But completing a second official workout is certainly noteworthy.
For now, Donald hasn’t officially announced that he is returning. Yet with 25 days remaining before the Rams face the 49ers, the possibility of seeing No. 99 back in Los Angeles is becoming harder to ignore.