Rams Get Encouraging Aaron Donald Update Ahead of Week 5 vs. Bills

The Los Angeles Rams could have defensive lineman Aaron Donald back on the field for Monday night’s game against the Buffalo Bills in Week 5. According to ESPN’s Sarah Barshop, head coach Sean McVay said that the hope is that Donald will play and that it is trending that way.

Sean McVay said the “hope” is that Aaron Donald will play on Monday against the Bills.

“That’s the direction it looks like it’s trending in,” McVay said.
— Sarah Barshop (@sarahbarshop) October 5, 2026

Last week, Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald was a surprise addition to the injury report with what the team described as a sore back. Head coach Sean McVay said that Donald picked it up after the game against the Denver Broncos and that the team would play it safe with him. Donald didn’t practice all week and was eventually ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported late last week that he understood it to be a relatively minor injury for Donald and that the team sat him out with the hope that it would heal and be in a better spot long-term. The team understands that it’s more important to have Donald available in December and January than for a Week 4 game in October.

Without Donald against the Eagles, the Rams managed to get by with Kobie Turner and Byron Young leading the way. Young was credited with eight pressures via NFL Pro and had a 27.6 percent pressure rate. Additionally, Turner added five pressures, and Braden Fiske was credited with six.

The fact that the Rams were able to generate as much pressure as they did without Donald and Myles Garrett is a testament to the amount of depth that they have on the defensive line. They were able to rely on Young, Turner, and Fiske and put together one of the best defensive performances that the Rams have had this season.

Having Donald available for Week 5 against the Bills will be important as the defense faces quarterback Josh Allen. Donald has been somewhat of a non-factor in games up to this point, as he has yet to record a sack. His 7.1 percent pressure rate also ranks 92nd among qualified defensive linemen. However, he still ranks second among interior defensive linemen in pass rush win rate at 21.4 percent, behind only Gervon Dexter. It feels like once it fully clicks for Donald again, the sacks and impact plays are coming.

The Rams showed against the Eagles that they can generate pressure without Donald or Garrett. Getting Donald back would only add another piece to a defensive front that may be starting to find its rhythm. After sitting out last week, Monday night against the Bills could be an opportunity for Donald to finally make his presence felt against a difficult opponent.

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