Could Aaron Donald unretire? Why fans are clamoring for former Rams superstar to join Myles Garrett in L.A.

On Monday afternoon, the Los Angeles Rams sent shockwaves around the NFL world by trading for defensive star Myles Garrett. The seven-time Pro Bowler has been one of, if not the best, NFL's best defensive players since his arrival in the league.

While this has already raised the Rams' defensive ratings even more, some NFL fans have been asking about the possibility of former NFL star Aaron Donald unretiring. Donald and Garrett together would be up there with one of the most feared defensive front lines, potentially in NFL history.

The Rams were already in Super Bowl-or-bust mode, and now that has been heightened. Quarterback Matthew Stafford's time in the NFL is dwindling, and Les Snead wants to ensure his squad has the best chance of hoisting its second Vince Lombardi Trophy in the last five years.

Here's how realistic a return is for one of the NFL's greatest defensive players to rejoin his old team.

MORE MYLES GARRETT NEWS:

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• Rams defense projection with Myles Garrett
• How Browns' Myles Garrett return compares

Could Aaron Donald unretire?

In theory, Donald could unretire and rejoin the Rams. He would be doing so as an unrestricted free agent, since he is finally off the team's dead cap sheet after two years.

If Donald is willing, the Rams appear to have enough money in their remaining cap space to sign him on a veteran minimum deal. Since Donald has played over seven seasons in the NFL, his minimum contract would be valued at $1.3 million in 2026, according to Spotrac.

Los Angeles' cap situation is growing bleak, so there is a chance the franchise may have to restructure some of their players' deals if they had strong intentions of bringing Donald back if he desired a return.

Aaron Donald contract details

While Donald was still getting paid by the Rams after his retirement in 2024 and 2025, his contract with the franchise has since expired. This means that he is now eligible to sign with any team as an unrestricted free agent.

Garrett's recent arrival in Los Angeles would most likely mean the City of Angels is a preliminary favorite to land Donald if he were to unretire, but nothing is written in stone yet. 

Donald's most recent contract, according to Spotrac, was a three-year deal worth $95 million. The Rams did have Donald on their dead cap for the last two seasons after his retirement. Here are those numbers:

Rams 2026 cap space

After the Garrett trade, Los Angeles was looking at around $16.3 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap. With the addition of Garrett on Monday afternoon, who carries a cap hit of $8.14 million for the upcoming season, that leaves around $8.2 million left in cap space for the Rams to work with. 

If the Rams were to sign Donald to a veteran minimum deal for the 2026 season, which is currently valued at $1.3 million for a player with 10 or more seasons played, according to Spotrac, they would be able to squeeze him into the roster.

MORE: Full 2026 NFL schedule featuring dates, times and networks for every game

Rams defense with Aaron Donald, Myles Garrett

If the Rams' defense wasn't scary already, it would be quite the sight to behold with Donald also in that picture. With Garrett as the main outside linebacker for Los Angeles, the team also added cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson from the Kansas City Chiefs.

Bolstering their already-strong defensive line by combining Garrett with Donald has a real shot of becoming the NFL's scariest 1-2 punches of all time. Even though Donald has been out of the league since March 2024, his gridiron instincts were close to unmatched during his time as the NFL's best defensive player.

The Rams did lose young rising star Jared Verse, but Garrett will fill his shoes and then some for the duration of his time in Los Angeles. Donald returning, if that's possible, would be the most ferocious cherry on top.