Has Rams DL Aaron Donald Quietly Retired From NFL?
Did Aaron Donald just quietly retire from the NFL and the Los Angeles Rams?
Well, according to his Twitter bio, he is (or was!) now a 'former NFL D-Lineman for the Rams'.
Donald has since updated his profile to remove the phrasing in question.
Our respected colleague Jourdan Rodrigue is downplaying the alterations, saying simply that Donald "fixed'' his bio.
And maybe it's just that simply.
But ...
While this is far from an official retirement, or a confirmation of retirement, the Los Angeles star entered the 2022 season on the verge of hanging up his cleats, ultimately deciding to return late in the process.
And after a frustrating 5-12 Super Bowl defense, and an injury-riddled season - the first time he missed more than two games in a season - it is conceivable that Donald may have regretted that decision to return.
Or maybe he just regretted it for a moment.
In 2018 Donald signed a shiny, new six-year deal worth $135 million that was set run through 2024, in a deal that made him the fifth-highest-paid defensive player in the league behind T.J. Watt, Joey Bosa, Myles Garrett, and Khalil Mack. Donald is set to make $13.5 million in 2023.
Last season, Donald recorded 49 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits, and five sacks, nearly half of his production of 2021, when he had 84 tackles, 12.5 sacks, 19 tackles for loss and 26 quarterback hits.
Rams GM Les Snead certainly has other concerns going forward into the offseason, chiefly figuring out a way to get his team back on track after its worst record since 2016.
But make no mistake, losing arguably the NFL's best defensive player in Donald would undoubtedly make that re-tooling project a much, much heftier task.
You can follow Matt Galatzan on Twitter @MattGalatzan
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