Thursday, ESPN's Sarah Barshop reported on Myles Garrett's excitement surrounding Aaron Donald potentially coming out of retirement to join him on the Los Angeles Rams' defensive line.
"I don't want to push him in one way or another," said Garrett. "If he's here, I'm going to be excited to be his teammate, his partner in crime. And I think we can do great things, but it's a difficult thing coming back, and I know he has a family. He has a lot of decisions to make."
Donald may be 35 years old, but physical tools have never really been a concern throughout his Hall of Fame career. The Rams previously won Super Bowl LVI in 2022 largely thanks to Donald, defeating Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals 23–20. He even had that Super Bowl-clinching sack on Burrow on 4th-and-1 with just 39 seconds remaining.
While it's unreasonable to expect Donald to make that level of impact, he very well could still contribute that late in the season yet again.
Cardinals can kiss the season goodbye if Aaron Donald comes out of retirement
Despite the NFC West rival Seattle Seahawks blowing out the New England Patriots in the latest Super Bowl, it's actually Stafford, Garret, and the Rams who enter the 2026-27 as the next favorites in Vegas. Donald is the type of experienced veteran who can impact the game in relatively limited snaps.
The Arizona Cardinals and San Fransico 49ers now have to worry about making the playoffs in what is arguably the NFL's best division. The NFC North between the Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, and Chicago Bears certainly has a strong case to make. They're not as top-heavy as the West, which has the top two teams in the league. They're certainly deeper, considering the Cardinals enter 2027 looking ahead to a top draft pick.
From that standpoint, it's heartbreaking if Donald joins forces with Garrett to make what could be one of the best lines in the league. Arizona already faced an uphill battle as is with what is somehow the most difficult strength of schedule in the league despite coming off a three-win and last-place finish in the division.
Adding Donald to the mix may be what puts the Rams over the top as consensus favorites. It may also be the thing to officially crush Cardinals fans' playoff hopes before the season even begins.
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