3 things the Rams must do to ensure Aaron Donald returns
The Los Angeles Rams are lucky to have drafted Aaron Donald back when the team was still based in St. Louis. He is a generational talent along the defensive line and made the game-winning play in this year's Super Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
That is why fans may have been concerned when rumors appeared indicating Donald could retire if the Rams won. Well, they won and at the victory parade the defender was seen loving the idea of "running it back." Yet this came during the heat of the moment in celebration.
He will likely take some time to make this decision so it is not a rushed one. In the meantime, the Rams can do a few things to ensure he wants to in fact return in 2022.
3 things the Rams can do to convince Aaron Donald to put retirement on hold
#3 - Get a commitment from Sean McVay
Retirement rumors also surrounded head coach Sean McVay before the Super Bowl. Since then, he has seemingly brushed them aside. However, seeing as it was brought up in the first place means it could still happen at any time.
If Sean McVay decides to walk away from coaching after Super Bowl LVI, ESPN would pursue him for Monday Night Football, per @nypost.
McVay hinted at potential early retirement on Friday.
While he reportedly makes $8.5M now, McVay could "command a salary of $10M+" in the booth. https://t.co/q55txWTLp5
Getting a firm commitment from McVay that he is not retiring anytime soon will help ease any concerns about a transition taking place in Los Angeles. Donald would know he is returning to the same organizational setup that just won a title. Otherwise, the legendary defender may not be interested in a fresh start near the tail end of his career.
#2 - Start restructuring deals
The Rams obviously want to repeat as champions, and to do so, they will first have to begin this offseason dealing with some serious salary cap concerns. However, they can get up to $70 million in cap space by restructuring a handful of deals for the highest-earners on the roster.
Starting this process as soon as possible shows Donald that the team is committed to bringing in even more talent to make another Super Bowl run in 2022. This also shows that his teammates are committed to the same goal and are willing to move money around to achieve it.
#1 - Retain two stars
Re-signing both Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr. appears to be something Donald cares about. He was filmed saying as much following the spectacular victory parade in Los Angeles.
All love between @obj and @AaronDonald97 💙💛 https://t.co/PHglvhutPM
The Rams have considerable talent to retain all over the roster. But bringing back two stars seems to be important to Donald, which makes sense as both players have had a big impact in the postseason.
Miller seems like a no-brainer, while Beckham is trickier given his torn ACL. Yet, getting around $70 million in cap space should allow the Rams to do what they want. This is a team focused on winning now, and that bodes well for them in convincing Donald to stick around while he is still at the peak of his powers.
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