Aaron Donald retirement rumors were genuine, according to NFL insider
Heading into the Super Bowl, Aaron Donald's career status was assumed to be alive and well. However, rumors broke that the pass rusher may retire following a Super Bowl victory. The Rams won, and the pass rusher returned, inclining most fans to think the rumors were hot air.
That said, news has come to light, giving much more legitimacy to the rumors. According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, Donald had a private conversation with Rodney Harrison before providing a formal interview on NBC before the Super Bowl. Donald supposedly thought the conversation was going to be kept quiet. Instead, Harrison blurted the core takeaway from the discussion on national television.
Here's what Garafolo said:
"Aaron Donald says he had a private conversation with Rodney Harrison before sitting down with NBC for the official interview ahead of their Super Bowl broadcast. Didn’t expect Harrison to share the info that he might retire on national TV."
Aaron Donald says he had a private conversation with Rodney Harrison before sitting down with NBC for the official interview ahead of their Super Bowl broadcast. Didn’t expect Harrison to share the info that he might retire on national TV. twitter.com/andrewsicilian…
When the Super Bowl was happening, it nearly seemed like this would be the end for Donald. It also seemed possible that Sean McVay was ready to walk out the door and head into the media. Instead, both are saddled up and ready to "run it back," following their motto.
How is the roster shaping up for the Rams with Aaron Donald back for 2022?
The news that Russell Wilson is heading to Denver now could deal a blow to the Los Angeles Rams. Von Miller seemed to have initially leaned towards returning to run it back. His longtime Denver Broncos were without a quarterback, and it seemed like Miller's best chance at a Super Bowl was in Los Angeles.
While the odds for a Super Bowl victory are likely to be lower in Denver, even after the Wilson trade, the lure of returning to his old team as if it were 2014 and Peyton Manning was in town could be too much to overcome. As such, the Rams should be preparing themselves to lose Miller to the team they initially traded for him.
Russ got sick of Aaron Donald sacking him 20 times a year and wanted out of the West
However, it all isn't bad news. The team is expected to have Odell Beckham Jr. back and a healthy Robert Woods. With the receivers in tow, the loss of Miller could be overcome by a boosted offense. But all signs point to the team losing Andrew Whitworth to retirement. The offensive tackle beat his former longtime team to win Super Bowl LVI. At 40 years old, the timing is right.
Even with the losses, the Rams have a shot at winning the Super Bowl again in 2022. The Seahawks are destabilized. The Rams have found a way to beat the San Francisco 49ers, replacing Jimmy Garoppolo with an untested Trey Lance. The Cardinals have had their confidence shaken after failing to succeed despite loading up with DeAndre Hopkins and JJ Watt.
Put simply, in winning the Super Bowl in 2021, the team could have broken into an era of dominance over a newly listless NFC West. That, plus a strong playoff run, could equal another trip down Lombardi avenue.