Aaron Donald, the Los Angeles Rams’ superstar defensive tackle and three-time Defensive Player of the Year, announced his retirement from the NFL. He spent his entire 10-year career with the Rams, helping them win Super Bowl LVI. Over his career, he was named All-Pro eight times and earned Pro Bowl honors in all 10 seasons except for his rookie year and injury-plagued 2022 season.
Despite considering retirement in previous seasons, including after winning the Super Bowl two years ago, Donald decided to continue playing in his final season. In that season, he recorded eight sacks, 53 combined tackles, and three defended passes. Throughout his career, he achieved six seasons with 10 or more sacks, including leading the NFL with 20.5 sacks in 2018. He was also named the 2014 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after being selected by the Rams with the No. 13 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from the University of Pittsburgh.
Rams head coach Sean McVay praised Donald’s leadership and impact on the team in a statement upon his retirement. General manager Les Snead referred to him as irreplaceable while owner/chairman E. Stanley Kroenke described him as one of the greatest players of all time. Despite finishing with a record of 10-7 last season, the Rams were eliminated in the NFC wild-card round by the Detroit Lions.
