"He's the best player in football in the last decade plus" - NFL analyst on why the Rams should pay star DT Aaron Donald his worth
The Los Angeles Rams are still basking in the glow of their victory in Super Bowl LVI over the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Rams' transformation from being one of the worst teams in the league around 2016 began with the 2014 selection of star defensive lineman Aaron Donald. The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year is now in contract negotiations with GM Les Snead and the brass of the organization.
NFL analyst and former player Dominique Foxworth was a guest on ESPN's Get Up, and he had the following to say about the possibility of Donald not playing with the team if the contract negotiations fall through:
"I think he closed the Super Bowl last year with his big plays. He closed out the NFC Championship. You don't want to pay guys for past performances, but if there's one guy that deserves it, it's Aaron Donald, and he's certainly going to keep going forward. You cannot take the best defensive player in all of football off of your team and expect to still be as high as they expect to be."
Foxworth ended his statement with the following:
"So, if they plan on repeating or being competitive, they need to find a way to pay this man because not only does he make plays for himself, but he makes plays for everybody around him. He's the best player in football in the last decade plus."
The former Pittsburgh Panthers standout was a recent guest on the I Am Athlete podcast, where he spoke about the possible consequences of not coming to a contract agreement with the team brass.
Donald stated that if he and the team cannot agree, he is "at peace" with moving on.
#Rams DT Aaron Donald said on the @IAMATHLETEpod that he came into the NFL planning to play 8 years, but winning the Super Bowl makes him want to run it back.
Donald said his contract needs to be worked on first. If it's not, then he's "at peace" with moving on.
Could the Rams run it back without Aaron Donald?
The Los Angeles Rams are preparing to try and run it back in 2022 after winning the Lombardi Trophy in February over the Bengals. But can the team do so if Aaron Donald chooses to make good on his statement of "moving on?"
The team signed quarterback Matthew Stafford last offseason to help offset all of the work that Donald and the defense had to undertake with former quarterback Jared Goff under center.
Despite having Stafford and wide receivers Cooper Kupp and now Allen Robinson (who comes over from the Chicago Bears), the Rams defense would take a significant hit without Donald pressuring the pocket around opposing quarterbacks.
Star edge rusher Von Miller signed with the Buffalo Bills. The loss of Aaron Donald would place immense pressure on the secondary, led by Jalen Ramsey, to cover receivers for an extended period of time.
Donald's play has earned him the right to be extended with a large payday. He is one of three players (Lawrence Taylor and J.J. Watt) to win the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year Award three times.
2016 Aaron Donald - 92.6
The highest-graded defender by season since 2016:
🐏 2016 Aaron Donald - 92.6
🐏 2017 Aaron Donald - 94.4
🐏 2018 Aaron Donald - 94.8
🐏 2019 Aaron Donald - 93.6
🐏 2020 Aaron Donald - 94.2
🐏 2021 Aaron Donald - 93.6
📸: @AaronDonald97 https://t.co/Oaxx9v4tmk
If head coach Sean McVay wants to run it back, then it would benefit Los Angeles to pay Aaron Donald what he's worth, which is arguably the best player in the NFL.