Why Aaron Donald retired after legendary Rams career

Aaron Donald might return from retirement to play in the NFL again.

That's the latest buzz around the league after the Los Angeles Rams acquired Myles Garrett in a trade with the Cleveland Browns. Multiple reporters have suggested Donald is contemplating a comeback.

With that in mind, it's worth first remembering Donald's decision to retire.

It was after the 2023 season, and he was still a massively impactful player, coming off a campaign with 8.0 sacks.

Donald was 32 at the end of that campaign, having completed 10 NFL seasons. He decided that was it for him, 111.0 sacks as an interior defensive lineman who will go down as one of the all-time greats.

MORE: Myles Garrett's Browns career comes to the most Cleveland of endings

Why did Aaron Donald retire?

Donald felt "there was nothing else left for him to accomplish," according to the Rams' official website.

"I'm complete. I'm full," Donald told the Rams' website to announce his retirement. "I think the passion to play the game is no longer there for me. I will always love football, but to think about going through another camp and another 17-(game) season, I just don't got the urge to want to push myself through that no more. I'm just, I'm burnt out. The best way to say it is I'm full, I'm complete. I'm satisfied with what I was able to do in 10 years. I think it's time for me at 32 years old to retire from football and jump into the next step of my career, my life. Now it's time to move on."

Donald always felt quite introspective, and so it didn't surprise many that he chose to leave the game on his own terms.

He had actually previously planned to retire two years earlier, after winning the Super Bowl, but he stuck around for a couple campaigns before calling it quits.

Could he come back now? It seems like a legitimate possibility. Donald has referred to wanting to see if he can get his "fire" back. 

When he retired, that fire seems to have burned out. If Donald can get it back, the Rams would find themselves with a special opportunity.

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