It’s been several months since Aaron Donald officially confirmed his retirement. Despite rumors circulating about a potential comeback, Donald’s wife, Erica, put an end to the speculation with a humorous video on social media.
In the video, Erica shared a clip of Donald sleeping soundly while football plays on the television in the background, effectively confirming that he has no plans to return to football. This comes after Donald made a surprise visit to the Los Angeles Rams‘ facility in mid-August, sparking speculation about a possible comeback.
Aaron Donald Seems To Be Enjoying Retirement
However, Donald’s visit was primarily to reconnect with his former teammates and offer guidance to the younger players on the defensive line. Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur expressed his hope that Donald’s appearance would signal a return, but the reality was that Donald was simply visiting.
“Kind of hoping that like the ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin music would hit,” LaFleur said, “and he would come out with a jersey and he said, ‘I’m back.’ You’re just happy to see him. The guys, all of them, not just the D-line are. You say, ‘How you doing?’ He says, ‘I’m healthy.’ It just puts such a smile on your face. That’s what you do it for.”
Donald provided valuable advice to rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske, who were drafted with the intention of filling the void left by his retirement. Defensive coordinator Chris Shula praised Donald’s visit and the positive impact he had on the team.
“It’s great to see him,” defensive coordinator Chris Shula said. “The cool thing was seeing him give some tips to Fiske and I’m standing there listening. So, it was really good to see him. Great to have him out here.”
Most recently Donald made a trip to the LA Memorial Coliseum for the USC Trojans game against the Utah State Aggies. Former Los Angeles Rams defensive line coach, Eric Henderson now works for the program.