His NFL resume is impressive. And it appears that his pay is now in jeopardy. And there was the end of the retirement talk.
Aaron Donald, the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, has had his contract revised, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. And the eight-year pro benefited greatly from the outcome.
For the former University of Pittsburgh standout, it’s been a whirlwind start to his career. And it’s nearly impossible to think he was the Rams’ second first-round pick in 2014 (do you remember Auburn tackle Greg Robinson being the No. 2 pick?).
In his eight NFL seasons, the 13th overall pick has only missed two games. He has a total of 127 regular-season appearances and a total of 98 sacks. There were 23 forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries to go along with it. Donald has a six-year streak of double-digit sacks and no fewer than eight QB traps.
In each of his eight seasons in the league, the 6’1″ 280-pound interior presence has been named to the Pro Bowl. Each of the last seven years, he’s been named to the All-Pro team. In 2017, 2018, and 2020, he was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year. And can you say “impressive”? He’s been in the top five for that award for the past seven years.
Donald was a member of the Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl LIII team, which was defeated by the New England Patriots. And, of course, he played a key role in the team’s 2021 NFL championship run. In four postseason games, he had 3.5 sacks, including two QB traps against Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow in Super Bowl LVI.
The Los Angeles Rams are seeking to become the first club to repeat as Super Bowl champions since the New England Patriots in 2003 and 2004. They kick off their journey on September 8th, when they host the Buffalo Bills in prime time. Will Donald devote the same amount of time to Josh Allen as he did to Joe Burrow in February?