Aaron Donald Addresses Record Contract, Decision to Return to Rams

The superstar defensive tackle says his new record deal was not the biggest factor in his decision.

Aaron Donald is returning for another run at another title with the Rams, after retirement rumors persisted through the offseason for the reigning Super Bowl champions. According to Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer, the deal is worth $95 million through 2024, with $65 million guaranteed over the next two seasons.

His $31.6 million average annual salary is now the highest of all non-quarterbacks in the NFL. However, Donald says that record contract was not the most important factor in his return to the field in 2022.

“It wasn’t important,” Donald said of hitting that mark, per ESPN. “It’s about other things off the field that were going on in my life that I had to get situated. And being here, with an organization that I’ve been with since day one, that I grew with, became a world champion with. I’m ready to try to run it back and create that whole feeling all over again.

“It’s about winning for me, and the pieces are here for that to come to fruition. And for me to be a piece to the puzzle and to be here right now, it’s a blessing.”

More important, Donald says, was the Rams restocking after making bold moves in 2021, leading to a championship. Two of those late acquisitions—Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr.—are not on the roster, but Donald was excited to see other star veterans like linebacker Bobby Wagner and wide receiver Allen Robinson added to the fold.

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“I think one of the most important things for me was feeling that the pieces we brought in were still going to give us an opportunity to win another Super Bowl,” Donald said, via the Los Angeles Daily News. “I truly believe that we’ve got the pieces here, the players here, the coaches here to make that come to life. We lost some good guys, but we gained some good guys too.”

Donald’s deal follows a four-year, $160 million extension for quarterback Matthew Stafford. Now, the attention turns to star wide receiver Cooper Kupp.

No front office is as shrewd at maneuvering the salary cap and leveraging future assets for immediate help as Les Snead’s, and it paid off with a championship in 2021. The move to retain Donald makes it even more clear that the franchise believes its window remains wide open. 

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