Whether the 49ers Like It or Not, Aaron Donald Might Be Coming Back

Uh oh.

Dec 10, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Aaron Donald could come out of retirement for the Los Angeles Rams. That's bad news for the San Francisco 49ers.

Donald ended his 10-year NFL career after the 2023 season, retiring pretty early for someone of his level of talent. He was a massive problem for the 49ers and all of the NFC West for that matter, and now in 2026, he could make a monumental comeback that would make the Rams even better.

The Rams have already gone all in on 2026, acquiring Trent McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs and, oh, you know, just trading for history-making sack leader Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns.

So if Donald does make a comeback, their defense will quite literally be the best in the league. The thought of Donald returning, even with a lack of match sharpness, would make the pairing of him and Garrett one of the best we’ve seen in a long time.

The 49ers won't be prepared to handle that duo, considering their offensive line issues have not truly been rectified over the last few years. They did address the position in the 2026 NFL Draft, but waited until the fourth round to select Carver Willis and the fifth round to take Enrique Cruz Jr. Their continued reluctance to invest premium draft capital in protecting Brock Purdy makes this a very scary prospect.

Donald initially worked out with the Rams on August 5, before completing a second workout on August 16. Easing himself into it is obviously the right approach if a comeback does come to fruition, but the 49ers have to monitor the situation closely ahead of their Week 1 matchup in Australia, just in case.

Sep 17, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan meets with Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay following the victory at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Rams head coach Sean McVay said on the likelihood of a return: "He's put himself in a position to be able to say yes or no. I think he's earned that right to have clarity on that.

"We're not at that point quite yet. We have some loose things where we've identified, you know, dates that we'd like to be able to hit.

"But what I don't want to have is any sort of unnecessary pressure on him if there are some unforeseen circumstances.

"We've had some tentative discussions behind the scenes. There's a lot of stuff, without getting too granular with it… (We won't) put some sort of invisible deadline on something that doesn't exist in my mind..

"I feel great about our football team as it currently stands, and I know he'll add value if he decides to come."

Worrying news all the same, though.