Rams Aaron Donald Trade: What Would Return Be?

The Los Angeles Rams have one of the greatest defensive players ever in Aaron Donald, but there have been conversations about the franchise trading him.

The Los Angeles Rams are the second-youngest team in the NFL and seem to be embracing the post-Super-Bowl rebuild.

The Rams have eight players with at least seven years of NFL experience under their belt. One of those players is All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who is entering his 10th season in Los Angeles. The Rams don't have high expectations on the heels of a 5-12 season and are looking to gather young talent for the future, so "Pro Football Talk" analysts Mike Florio and Peter King floated around the idea of Donald potentially getting traded if the team starts 0-3 or 2-6, for example.

"What would a defensive-tackle-needy team give for Aaron Donald in his 10th year?" King said. "Would the Kansas City Chiefs, give next year's [first-round draft pick] to the Rams for Aaron Donald? I think if Aaron Donald said, 'I'll give you a year and a half,' they would do that for sure.

"If you're the Rams and people are trying, 'Well, we'll give you a three and a two for him,' or something like that. It's got to start with a one and you're not doing it unless it's a one."

Donald has contemplated retirement in the past, reportedly submitting a retirement letter to the Rams in May 2022.

The Pittsburgh native played in 11 games last season, missing the final six games with a high ankle sprain. Donald registered career-low totals in tackles for loss, sacks and hits on the quarterback in 2022.

While the thought of retirement didn't cross his mind this offseason, Donald said Aug. 17 that he wasn't where he wanted to be in preparation for the season. That will still likely result in a Pro Bowl season, as he has yet to miss being named one of the league's honorees.

However, it's no secret the end is nearing in Donald's career. Would getting anything for Donald be better than nothing if he retires after 2023? Florio believes so, but he also understands the Rams could use some leverage with one year left on Donald's current contract.

"What are they offering now as we rush toward the (Oct. 31 trade) deadline versus what could we do in the offseason?" Florio said. "We can maybe get more teams to the table, and one of the big talking points as we approach the start of the league year is: who's going to pony up the most for Aaron Donald?"

Regardless, plenty of teams would be interested in trading for Donald if the Rams were to begin fielding offers. Just how much Los Angeles would get in return becomes the debate.

General manager Les Snead sounds like he's committed to making Donald a lifelong Ram, though.