Aaron Donald Works Out for Rams Again, But Return Timeline Remains Unclear

For a second time, defensive tackle Aaron Donald held an official workout with the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, according to the NFL Transaction wire. Donald previously worked out with the team in an official capacity two weeks ago.

Over the past few months, Donald has been considering a return to the Rams to play alongside Myles Garrett and go for another Super Bowl. However, a big part of Donald’s decision is getting back into football shape and how his body reacts.

Aaron Donald Continues to Test Potential Rams Return

“What happened again is Aaron Donald put on some helmets, put on some pads, and worked out for the Rams, wanting to see how his body acclimated,” said NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. “Is it time? Not yet…it is fair to say it is trending that way, that he would likely play, but there’s been no firm decision and as he continues to not just work out, but see how his body responds, then he is able to make a more informed decision.”

Rapoport also noted that Donald is still just going through the process and the Rams don’t have a timeline for him. The Rams currently don’t have a full 90-man roster. If they did bring back Donald, they would not have to cut or trade anybody in a corresponding move.

From @GMFB: The new reality for #Giants QB Jaxson Dart, plus why Aaron Donald "tried out" for the #Rams again. pic.twitter.com/gphSI0vZRB
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 17, 2026

Rams Have No Reason to Rush Aaron Donald’s Decision

It’s important to remember that the Rams are set on the defensive line. Adding Donald would be more of a luxury than filling a need. They have Myles Garrett, Byron Young, and Kobie Turner as the faces of the defensive line. There’s no need to put a timeline on Donald making a decision because until the team cuts down to 53, they don’t have to make any move to make room for Donald. If he were to decide to come back, whenever that is, they would welcome him with open arms.

“His target has been shifting. It went from early this week (Monday-ish) to late this week (Friday-ish),” reported Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio on Saturday. “Now that the weekend has arrived, Donald has yet to make a decision.”

Similar to Rapoport, Florio noted that the Rams don’t seem inclined to force the issue, but that’s mostly because they don’t need to. The Rams entered the offseason under the impression that Donald was retired. If he wants to come back, they’ll make it work. In the case that he doesn’t, they’ll continue as is and how they originally planned.

When Could Aaron Donald Make His Rams Return?

With that said, the next two weeks are important for a Donald decision. The speculation seems to be that if Donald comes back, it won’t be for a playoff run. Donald will either be all in for the season, or he won’t come back. With the Rams on the road to start the preseason, last week wouldn’t have made a lot of sense for a return.

"My sense is, at this point, he’s taking a little more time to have full clarity on it," said Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer. "And the Rams have told him all along that the door is open and this is his decision"

Tthe Rams won’t leave SoFi now until they head to Australia in Week 1. They play the New Orleans Saints in Los Angeles on Saturday and then wrap up the preseason as the road team against the Los Angeles Chargers. There is then one week between the end of the preseason and the start of regular-season preparation.

If Donald returns, sometime shortly after the next two preseason games appears the most likely. When Donald ended his holdout in 2018, he did so on August 31 at the conclusion of the preseason. That was one day after the Rams’ final preseason game. The Rams play their final preseason game on August 27 against the Chargers.

That doesn’t mean Donald will follow that same timeline, but there does appear to be a natural window at the conclusion of the preseason. Until Donald makes his decision, the Rams will remain in wait-and-see mode. However, with Donald continuing to push himself and practice in pads, things continue to point in the right direction.

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