The Los Angeles Rams made a blockbuster trade June 1 when they acquired two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns for Jared Verse and a package of draft picks.
At least one Rams player is stumping for another perennial All-Pro to join the team and play alongside Garrett.
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Cornerback Jaylen Watson, who signed with the Rams as a free agent during the 2026 NFL offseason, took to social media to ask Aaron Donald to come out of retirement and return to Los Angeles.
“[H]it me big bro,” Watson wrote in an X post that tagged Donald’s handle.
Donald did not immediately respond to Watson’s social media call-out, and it isn’t clear whether he will.
Donald has not played since 2023, when he racked up eight sacks in 16 games and was named to his eighth All-Pro first team. He spent all 10 of his NFL seasons with the Rams and racked up 111 sacks, earned three Defensive Player of the Year awards and won Super Bowl 56.
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Despite his retirement, Donald routinely posts workout videos of himself to social media. Most recently, he shared a clip of one of his workouts to Instagram, which featured “#ready” in the caption and the song “ain’t done” by Blxst playing over the post.
Will Aaron Donald come out of retirement?
While some might take that as a sign Donald is considering a return, it’s worth noting that the 35-year-old has frequently stated he does not intend to return to the NFL.
In a May 13 appearance on Cam Heyward’s “Not Just Football” podcast, Donald reiterated he was happy to be retired and that he was “a guy that never wanted to play forever.”
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“I always said I was going to do eight years and be done,” Donald said while comparing himself to Detroit Lions legend Barry Sanders. “I just happened to win a Super Bowl my eighth year and I was like, ‘Man, this is destiny!'”
Donald decided to play two more years after that Super Bowl win because he wanted another chance to win a championship.
“You can’t just win a Super Bowl and walk away,” Donald explained. “You want to experience that again.”
But after the Rams were unable to do that, Donald was completely comfortable walking away from the NFL.
And while Donald acknowledged he has fielded calls from Sean McVay in the past, he still hasn’t felt tempted to return to the field.
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“The first two years, they would talk about it,” Donald said, referencing his discussions with McVay and the Rams. “But it kind of quiet down because he know where I’m at.”
So, unless Donald’s opinion changes following the Garrett trade, the 35-year-old seems likely to remain retired – and stay on track for a potential Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement in 2029.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What Aaron Donald has said about coming out of retirement to rejoin Rams
