'Y'all Don't Want Me?': Aaron Donald Reveals Why He Almost Left Rams In 2017

If just a few things went differently, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald could have left the team years before his retirement this offseason.

It's easy to forget now, but before Sean McVay's arrival in 2017, the Los Angeles Rams went over a decade without a single playoff appearance.

As it turns out, that long stretch of ineptitude almost cost them one of the best defensive players of all time. Over their first three seasons with legendary defensive tackle Aaron Donald, the Rams went a combined 17-31 despite some great performances from their franchise player.

Being eligible for an extension in the 2017 offseason, Donald wasn't sure if he even wanted to consider signing with the Rams long-term, especially after a disastrous 2016 season.

Dec 10, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) before

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

“My first year in L.A. in 2016 was horrible. It was a bad year. We weren’t a good team. That’s the year Fisher ended up getting fired... It was an embarrassing year,” Donald said in an interview. “For an individual year, it was an All-Pro year, Pro Bowl year. But when you accomplish that, not saying you’re not happy and excited about that, but you just want more as a team. You’re not even a competitive team and a team that only wins four or five games, it’s like, what are we doing here? My agent was talking to me like, ‘you’re about to go into your fourth year. Time to start talking about contracts. I’m like, ‘I love the Rams, but I want to win. I want to go somewhere I can win. I don’t know if I even want to try to come back and get a contract with the Rams.’ I just want to win. I’m tired of losing.”

Some may remember that Donald held out to start the 2017 season, as he didn't report during training camp or the preseason and even missed the regular season opener. He also held out the following offseason, resulting in him landing a monster six-year contract with the Rams.

While he eventually reported to the team, the contract negotiations left somewhat of a sour taste in Donald's mouth.

“End up holding out, was in Pittsburgh training the whole time,” Donald said. “That was my first holdout year so for me, it was personal. I was kind of mad at the organization. I’m like, ‘What? Y’all don’t want me? If y’all don’t want me, y’all can get rid of me. Send me somewhere that want me. Please.’ So I was a little mad, a little frustrated about it.”

All's well that ends well, though, as Donald returned to a much-improved Rams team after his holdout. Under McVay's leadership, L.A. made the playoffs in five of the next seven seasons, appearing in two Super Bowls and winning one. Donald would be the driving force throughout that stretch, as he won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2017, 2018 and 2020.

Now that Donald has hung up his cleats, the future Hall of Fame defender is perfectly happy that he stayed in L.A.