Report: Rams' Aaron Donald to Miss Week 1 Matchup vs. Colts Amid Contract Dispute
Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald will miss his team's opener against the Colts amid an ongoing contract dispute, reports ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Donald, 26, has not shown up to any of the Rams' preseason activities or games and has accrued $1.4 million in fines in the process. Donald, a back-to-back First Team All-Pro selection who is widely regarded as one of the best players in the league, is seeking a contract extension.
A first-round pick out of Pittsburgh in 2014, Donald has one year left his rookie contract which pays him a base salary of $1.8 million. If he does not report to the Rams' before Sunday's 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff, he will forfeit one of 17 game checks.
"He is not ruled out, but right now he's not here," Rams coach Sean McVay told TheRams.com. "Guys are ready to go and we're getting a plan in place and the preparation goes on.
"Fortunately, we've got a bunch of guys that we feel confident in that are ready to step up. Like we said, our message continues to remain the same: If he's here, great, we'll accept him back with open arms. But in the meantime we've got to get ready to play a football game and we know the Colts are getting ready as well."
Tanzel Smart, a rookie sixth-rounder out of Tulane, is listed as the starter in Donald's position on the Rams' Week 1 depth chart.
