Brockers Says Donald Is "Staying Ready" as Rams Add Garrett
Days after the Los Angeles Rams acquired defensive end Myles Garrett in a trade widely described as one of the most significant defensive acquisitions in recent NFL history, a second major development is under discussion: former Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald may be weighing a return from retirement. Michael Brockers, who played alongside Donald in Los Angeles for six seasons, said publicly that the three-time Defensive Player of the Year has not stopped preparing. "My guy is staying ready so he doesn't have to get ready," Brockers said on the "Locked On Rams Squad Show," adding that he holds "some knowledge that others might not have."
Donald, 33 when he retired following the 2023 NFL season, compiled one of the most decorated careers in the history of the position. He earned Pro Bowl selection in all 10 of his seasons, was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2014, and won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award three times. Across 154 career regular-season games he recorded 543 tackles, 111 sacks, and 24 forced fumbles. He reinforced speculation about a possible return with an Instagram post featuring workout footage captioned with the hashtag "#ready," set to the track "Ain't Done" by Bixst.
Garrett arrives in Los Angeles after nine seasons with the Cleveland Browns, during which he set an NFL single-season sack record with 23 in the most recent campaign. He has won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in two of the last three seasons. Across 134 career games he has accumulated 412 tackles, 125.5 sacks, and 23 forced fumbles. At 30, he is entering what most evaluators consider the prime years for an edge rusher. The Rams' existing defensive infrastructure and the prospect of pairing Garrett with a returning Donald would draw direct comparison to the defensive line - which also included Von Miller, Leonard Floyd, A'Shawn Robinson, and Greg Gaines - that anchored Los Angeles's Super Bowl LVI championship victory over the Cincinnati Bengals following the 2021 season.
No formal announcement regarding Donald's status has been made by the player or the club. Brockers's comments represent the most direct public signal to date that a return is being actively considered. Should Donald come out of retirement, the Rams would present opposing offenses with a pass-rush pairing without a clear parallel in the current league.
