Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald surprised the football world by retiring after the 2023 season. It didn’t surprise him at all.
“I knew as soon as I stepped on the field for training camp that this was going to be my last year,” Donald told reporters Wednesday, four days before the team honored him during a Sunday night home game against the Buccaneers. “I didn’t want to share that with you guys. I didn’t want to be a distraction, but my family knew it. I knew it. I’m pretty sure some coaches…I know Sean (McVay) had an idea about it because we had conversations before I came back. I knew from the start of the season what it was going to be like. That’s why my senior year, I tried to enjoy every moment of it, taking everything in, the bad games and the good. I was just trying to figure out how a kid playing again. I felt like I had a lot of fun last season, being with a young group that had a lot of success, watching these guys grow over the years, it’s pretty cool to watch them now.
Advertisement
So, does he miss football?
“No,” Donald replied. “To be honest with you, I never had the itch after I retired saying, ‘I want to come back, I still want to play football.’ You miss things from the game and for me, it’s not really playing the game. It’s being in the locker room, hanging out with the guys, watching film, making jokes, plus the camaraderie with the guys. I’m fine. I am fulfilled. I’m happy with where I am in my life right now and what I’m doing and obviously everything I do, I strive for greatness. I felt like I checked that off in football and in the next chapter of life, just transitioning all of that into what I’m trying to do and build right now. I love football. I just don’t like playing football anymore. »
He did it well enough to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, without hesitation and without taking a mic. It will still be a few years away, but it is inevitable.
As inevitable as Donald blowing up the opposing offensive line and wreaking havoc, more often than not. Which he could probably do this weekend, if he wanted to.
