Major Update on Aaron Donald After Returning to LA Rams

Aaron Donald is back on the Los Angeles Rams for the 2026-27 NFL season, but fans will have to wait to see him in action.

According to head coach Sean McVay, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year did not make the trip to Melbourne, Australia, for the season-opening game against the rival San Francisco 49ers.

The team made this move to give Donald more time to ramp up to full activity. After all, he retired after the 2023 season and only returned to the league in late August.

He has not played in a game or fully participated in training camp. He did not even begin 11-on-11 drills until Sept. 6.

“He’s doing a great job,” McVay said, per ESPN. “I think he’ll be ready to go sooner rather than later, but we’re making a decision that we think is best for him and for our team. … He’s attacked this the right way, but it would have been a really quick turnaround.”

This message should not come as a surprise to fans of the Los Angeles Rams. McVay had previously indicated that the team would not rush Donald back onto the field. The goal is to have him healthy and making plays for a full season, especially during the playoffs.

Donald also acknowledged that he felt a bit “rusty” after fully making his return to the practice field. This is something that will fade with time as he gets back into full football shape.

“It isn’t where I want to be, but it’s pretty damn good, if you ask me,” Donald said. “To not play football in two years, to be moving how I’m moving, like I said, it’s really no drop off.

“It’s not where I want to be because I can see it and I know there are things that I want to clean up and I’m going to clean up. The more reps I do, the more I play, it’ll get there.”

The Los Angeles Rams still remain the favorites to win the Week 1 game against the San Francisco 49ers, the first-ever NFL regular-season game in Australia.

The Polymarket traders believe that the Donald-less Rams will still score the win and start the year 1-0. These traders list the Rams as having a 65% chance to win the game. The 49ers enter Week 1 with a 36% chance to win.

The Rams also remain the favorites to sweep the two-game regular-season series. The Polymarket traders list the team as having a 47% chance to win both games.

The 49ers have a mere 12% chance to sweep the Rams during the 2026-27 NFL season. The teams have a 43% chance to split the series by winning one game each.

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