Aaron Donald Unretirement Rumors Mount After Myles Garrett Trade to Rams

The Los Angeles Rams pulled off  one of the biggest shockers of the NFL offseason  on Monday when they acquired Myles Garrett in a trade with the Cleveland Browns . The Rams already had one of the best rosters in the league, and it got even better with the addition of the two-time Defensive Player of the Year.

At this point, the only way the Rams' roster could get any better is if Aaron Donald decided to come out of retirement, and there's no way that's going to happen. Right? RIGHT??

Well, don't look now, but the return rumors are heating up. After acquiring Garrett, the Rams are now viewed as the clear Super Bowl favorite , and that has sparked speculation that Donald might be willing to return for one more season. The idea might not be as crazy as it sounds.

There have been signs that Donald is at least considering a return, so let's break them down.

1. Donald's former teammate has teased a possible return

Michael Brockers spent seven seasons as Donald's teammate, so he knows him as well as anyone, and Brockers had some interesting things to say about a possible Donald return on the  most recent episode of the "Locked on Rams" podcast , which was recorded Monday after the Rams traded for Garrett.

"I would say that I do have some information that might be considered as some knowledge that others might not have, but I'm not going to tell it all," Brockers said. "I will say this: My guy is staying ready so he doesn't have to get ready, and I'm going to leave the audience with that."

The Rams drafted Brockers No. 14 overall in the 2012 NFL Draft . Two years later, Donald joined the team after the Rams made him the No. 13 overall pick in the 2014 draft. Brockers was with the Rams through the 2020 season, so he spent seven years in the trenches with Donald. It wouldn't be surprising if he has some insight into Donald's thinking.

Then we have LeSean McCoy , who says he actually texted with Donald over the past 24 hours.

During the most recent episode of his "Speakeasy" podcast , McCoy hinted that Donald is thinking about a return to the NFL.

"Aaron Donald retires and now you get Myles Garrett," McCoy said. "You know I sent that text out, 'AD, what we going to do?' He thinking about it."

McCoy and Donald are friends off the field, and they've spent some time together now that both are retired. Donald actually  beat McCoy in a footrace back in 2024 , and if he's still running with that kind of speed, he shouldn't have any problem making an NFL return.

2. Donald is staying in shape

The only way a return makes sense is if Donald is actually in shape, and from all accounts, that appears to be the case. Brockers mentioned that Donald is staying ready, and if you follow Donald on social media, you know Brockers is NOT kidding. Since retiring following the 2023 season, Donald has shared plenty of workout videos, with the most recent one coming in the past few days.

And this is the part where we note that Donald's most recent workout video certainly includes an interesting caption and an even more interesting hashtag.

> it’s worth pointing out that in his latest IG workout post 4 days ago, Aaron Donald in his caption has “ #ready ” and the song is “ain’t done” by Bixst. this can’t be a coincidence, right? #NFL #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/0WnotZXXQP — Chris Brockman🎙️ (@chrisbrockman) June 1, 2026

That looks like a guy who's ready to return. Donald is only 35, so it's certainly possible he still has some gas left in the tank.

3. One Rams player is already trying to lure Donald out of retirement

After the Rams traded for Garrett on Monday, Jaylen Watson jumped on Twitter and immediately started trying to recruit Donald out of retirement.

> @AaronDonald97 hit me big bro🎢 — Wat’s Island🏝 (@JaylenWatson12) June 1, 2026

After spending his first four seasons with the Chiefs , Watson signed with the Rams in March and is now heading into his first season with the team. Watson has won two Super Bowls in his short career, so he knows what it takes to win a Lombardi Trophy, and he knows adding Donald would help the Rams' cause.

All in 2.0: Rams' Myles Garrett trade signals push for second SoFi Super Bowl win; how move fixes big weakness Garrett Podell

4. Donald once teased that he might come out of retirement

At this point, you might be wondering how Donald feels about being retired, and we do have an answer. In May 2025, Donald said  he was happily retired .

"As far as playing football, I don't miss it," Donald said at the time. "I don't even have the passion or excitement to want to play football. I will always love football, but once you lose the passion, it was time to walk away."

The only time Donald has hinted at a return came in August. After rumors started swirling that the Rams might trade for Micah Parsons , Donald sent out an interesting message saying he might have to come out of retirement if the Rams were able to land Parsons.

"That Dline would be unreal," Donald wrote.

> Aaron Donald teases a return if Micah Parsons goes to the Rams 👀 pic.twitter.com/O706rAINNM — Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 6, 2025

Obviously, the Rams didn't get Parsons, but this shows that Donald might be interested in coming out of retirement if he got a chance to play with another game-wrecker, and Garrett is a game-wrecker. There aren't many players in the NFL who possess the presence Parsons brings to a defense, but Garrett is one of them.

Even if Donald was half-joking about a return last summer, it feels like he would have given it some serious thought if the Rams had acquired Parsons. Now that they have Garrett, it wouldn't be surprising if he thinks about it again.

5. The Trey Wingo tweet

Trey Wingo is a former "SportsCenter" anchor who still has his finger on the pulse of the NFL. Every once in a while, Wingo breaks news, like he did last October when he reported that the Cowboys were going to try to acquire Maxx Crosby , a report that came out of nowhere. (The Cowboys did try to get Crosby, but they came up empty both at the trade deadline and after the season .)

So what did Wingo have to say about Donald? After ESPN shared a graphic of Garrett and Donald together with the caption, "Imagine if Aaron Donald came out of retirement," Wingo fired off an intriguing tweet.

> Let’s just say that’s more than just imagination……..all I can tell you right now. https://t.co/20MWFDMEEm — trey wingo (@wingoz) June 1, 2026

Just like Brockers, Wingo seems to vaguely hint that Donald might come out of retirement.

Donald has been retired for two full seasons, but if he's going to return for one last campaign, this would be the year to do it. The Rams have a loaded roster, and the Super Bowl is at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, the same spot where he won his first Super Bowl in a 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals , where he made the game-winning play.

> Remember when Aaron Donald called game in #SBLVI ? 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ozLMzjGua0 — NFL (@NFL) March 15, 2024

Donald is a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and pairing him with a two-time Defensive Player of the Year in Garrett would give the Rams a defense that would be a nightmare for any opposing offense.

Donald stacked up the accolades during his career, and he'd have a chance to add to them: He was also a 10-time Pro Bowler and an eight-time first-team All-Pro selection, and he finished his career with 111 sacks.

As for a possible return, there's certainly some smoke here, but we'll have to wait and see if there's also some fire. The Rams are already loaded with talent, and if Donald comes out of retirement, it will be a case of the rich getting richer. Actually, it will be a case of the rich getting so rich that it's almost unfair.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/aaron-donald-return-rumors-rams-myles-garrett-trade/)._