BREAKING: Rams Shut Down Aaron Donald For Season

The Los Angeles Rams are sparing Aaron Donald from meaningless carnage of the final three games of this season.

Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Los Angeles Rams are shutting down star defensive tackle Aaron Donald for the remainder of the 2022-23 season. 

Donald has wrapped his ninth NFL season, all of them spent with the Rams' organization. He had not played since Nov. 27's loss in Kansas City but was projected to be back in time for the team's Christmas Day contest on Sunday against the Denver Broncos (1:30 p.m. PT, CBS/Nickelodeon) but the team's official mathematical elimination from any lingering playoff hopes likely led the team to officially spare him from this woebegone title defense.

Like many on the Rams' roster, Donald, 31, took a noticeable statistical decline, one likely brought about, at least in part, by his health issues. Donald played in a career-low 11 games this season, with 11 quarterback hits and five sacks though he did manage to keep his Pro Bowl record clean, named to the NFC's all-star group earlier this week. 

Following the Denver debacle, the Rams (4-10) will close out their season against the Los Angeles Chargers and Seattle Seahawks.

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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