Aaron Donald, the highly decorated defensive tackle, has announced his return to the Los Angeles Rams for the 2026 season, coming out of a retirement that lasted two and a half years. The decision delays his eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame but could bolster the Rams' Super Bowl aspirations.
Larry Fitzgerald, a fellow University of Pittsburgh alumnus and newly minted Pro Football Hall of Famer, admitted that he "selfishly" wished Donald had stayed retired. Fitzgerald's primary concern was Donald's legacy, as he wants him to be inducted into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. Pitt currently has 11 Hall of Famers, and Fitzgerald's return would add a twelfth.
Donald, who has been away from the game since his retirement, expressed confidence in his ability to perform at his previous elite level. "Do I feel like I can still be myself? 100 percent. If I didn’t feel like that, I wouldn’t be here," Donald stated after his first practice back with the Rams. He is widely regarded as one of the most dominant interior defensive players in NFL history.
Fitzgerald, who played his entire 17-year career with the Arizona Cardinals, knows firsthand Donald's disruptive impact on offenses. "He’s the most dominant defensive player I’ve probably ever played against," Fitzgerald said. "There was nothing you could do with him in the run game. He was just as dominant in the pass game."
Donald's return pairs him with reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, creating what Fitzgerald described as a "murderer's row" on defense. This formidable pass-rushing duo forces opposing offensive coordinators into difficult decisions, as they must allocate additional resources to counter Donald's interior pressure, potentially leaving Garrett with one-on-one matchups on the edge, or vice versa.
The reloaded Rams defense, combined with last season's top-ranked offense, positions Los Angeles as a Super Bowl favorite. Fitzgerald, however, cautioned against overlooking the competitive NFC West, particularly the San Francisco 49ers. He praised 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan for his ability to keep the team competitive despite numerous injuries last season.
Fitzgerald's own career spanned his entire tenure in the NFC West, and he highlighted the division's strength, noting the presence of the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks and a healthier 49ers team alongside the Rams. The addition of Donald, Fitzgerald suggested, makes the Rams an even more formidable opponent within this challenging division.