New Report Says Aaron Donald's Return to the Rams Remains a "Real Possibility"

One of the biggest stories around the Los Angeles Rams as they get closer to training camp is the growing speculation that Aaron Donald will return. Last week, Donald was seen working out at the team facility and multiple reports continue to suggest that he is seriously exploring coming out of retirement.

Ian Rapoport Shares Latest Update

NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport released a new report on Thursday evening, noting that Donald returning is a real possibility.

“A real possibility is probably a pretty good way to describe it,” said Rapoport. “My understanding is Aaron Donald himself doesn’t really know right now whether this is going to happen. Here is my understanding of where it stands. It sounds like Aaron Donald is going to start working out football-wise…Now, there’s no real deadline here. I don’t believe that, based on what I know, that Aaron Donald is going to be showing up to training camp for the Rams. If he does show up, it would probably be towards the end of training camp or could even be into the season. But yes, Aaron Donald does seem to be exploring this possibility.”

From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: How real is a possible comeback for former #Rams star Aaron Donald? pic.twitter.com/GMe2Mx1PUn
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 16, 2026

The report from Rapoport backs up previous reports over the last week on where the situation currently stands. Adam Schefter reported earlier this week that Donald told the team that he wanted to go to the facility to see how he felt and how he reacted.

Donald Is Still Evaluating a Return

There’s no doubt that Donald is in very good shape. However, there is a difference between being in shape and being in football shape. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Donald continue to go through similar workouts to see if he can get back to a similar level that he was when he retired.

If Donald comes back, it’s not going to be at 50 percent. Donald is going to want to feel good about where his body is at and feel confident that he can still produce at a high level. Donald certainly would like to play alongside Myles Garrett, but at the same time, he has nothing left to prove. It’s unlikely that he comes back as a shell of himself.

When Could Donald Make a Decision?

Exactly when Donald will make a decision has remained unclear. While the Rams start training camp next week, that doesn’t appear to be the deadline on when Donald needs to make a decision. Rapoport seems to suggest that Donald won’t be showing up to training camp.

Earlier this week, Peter Schrager went on the Pat McAfee Show and said that Donald wants to go the full season. Combining what Schrager said with the Rapoport report, the end of training camp appears to be the most likely timeline.

This is certainly going to be a situation to monitor over the next few weeks. The Rams are set to report to training camp on July 25, and play their first preseason game on August 15. They will hold their first of two joint practice sessions with the Dallas Cowboys on August 11.

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