Aaron Donald seen training at Rams practice facility during offseason

It wasn’t long ago when rumors began swirling that Aaron Donald could make a shocking return to the NFL with the only franchise he’s ever known.

While those rumors have gradually become more silent over the last few weeks, what happened on Friday was like a siren going off.

According to a report from TMZ, the three-time defensive player of the year was videotaped working out at the Rams practice facility in Woodland Hills. It’s believed that Donald took part in an hour-long workout that featured “ladder work, medicine ball throws and agility work, pushing himself to the limit until he was clearly gassed.”

While it’s not shocking to see Donald working out considering the tremendous shape he’s always been in, most of the videos Donald has posted to his social media account have been from a gym and not out on the field.

Donald walked away from football two years ago, but he never walked away from training. Anyone who has seen his recent workouts understands why teammates and NFL executives around the league aren’t laughing at the possibility of him coming out of retirement.

Rumors began swirling about a potential return when Los Angeles signed Myles Garrett, the reigning defensive player of the year and widely considered the best defensive player in the game.

When asked about Donald’s potential return during Garrett’s introductory press conference, Rams head coach Sean McVay played it coy — but with a big smile on his face.

“If he’s interested, there is an opportunity…” said McVay. 

“Aaron’s a guy that I stay really close in touch with, and I know the respect that he has for Myles [Garrett],” McVay added. “Talk to him about the opportunity to be able to bring him on board. If Aaron decides he wants to dust them off at the age of 35 I bet you he could still do it at a pretty high clip.”

During an exclusive interview with The California Post at the American Century Championship in Nevada, Andrew Whitworth said if Donald is OK with potentially suffering some kind of injury or ailment on a football field again, he could certainly see the defensive tackle re-signing with Los Angeles this offseason.

“I think it’s going to be how comfortable he is with going back out there and understanding not the positive, but the negative,” ex-Rams left tackle said. “And that is you get injured. Injuries, things that affect you past football. It’s going to be how comfortable he is with that.”

Whitworth — who’s hosting a camp with Donald later this month — said he actually recently spoke with Donald about a comeback, and he confirmed the 35-year-old who retired following the 2023 season “definitely” has “a pique of interest” in donning a Rams helmet once more.

However, Whitworth said he’s sure how Donald’s body feels will be the ultimate deciding factor.

“Aaron’s a guy like me,” Whitworth said. “He’s training all the time no matter what. You know when you go in there a few days how you feel and whether that’s every day life feel good, or I could sign up to play football.

“But only he will know that.”

That’s why Friday’s video has furthered the speculation of his return, with some analysts believing he will return this season to chase one more Super Bowl ring with a stacked Rams roster that now features Garrett.