When the then-St. Louis Rams selected Aaron Donald in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Pittsburgh, no one could have envisioned the career he would have.
Not a single soul would have thought he’d ultimately be mentioned with the likes of franchise legends Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen and Jack Youngblood.
A decade later, and that’s where we are.
It’s in this that Donald’s shocking announcement on social media that he is retiring from the game has to be a blow to not only Los Angeles Rams fans the world over, but also football fans in general.
“For 10 years, I have been fortunate to play the game of football at the highest level. I am thankful for the people I’ve met along the way, the relationships I’ve built an the things I’ve accomplished with my teammates and individually,” Aaron Donald wrote on X. “I would like to thank St. Louis for the love and support during my first two years in the league as a St. Louis Ram, and through my eight years as a Los Angeles Ram. I would like to thank Los Angeles for the love and support throughout my career as well.”
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Aaron Donald Retires As A Los Angeles Rams Legend
For a good half-decade run from 2017-21, Donald was the best defensive player in the NFL. That span saw him record a combined 145 QB hits, 93 tackles for loss, 70 sacks an 19 forced fumbles. Donald earned three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards during that span. He’s a 10-time Pro Bowler and eight-time All-Pro performer.
He also played a vital role in the Rams’ run to the Super Bowl title back in 2021, recording two sacks of Joe Burrow in the big win over the Cincinnati Bengals en route to hoisting the Lombardi.
Donald finishes his career ranked 40th all-time in the NFL with 111 sacks. That is also tops in Rams franchise history.
Let’s pour one out to Mr. Donald. What a heck of a career. Next stop Canton.