Aaron Donald's potential return to the Rams continues to trend in the right direction. Head coach Sean McVay said a few days ago, "The arrow is pointing up."
Should Donald unretire, the Rams would be contractually obligated to address the money left on his deal.
Jason Fitzgerald Confirms $30 Million Still Owed
Salary-cap analyst Jason Fitzgerald, founder of Over The Cap, confirmed as much two weeks ago, responding on social media to a post questioning ESPN's Adam Schefter's report that the Rams owe Donald $30 million if he returns. "Not sure if that's correct," the post read. "Donald signed a three-year contract in 2022 that ran through 2024. They paid out the dead money. Don't believe there's an old contract to resume. Any insight @Jason_OTC?"
"Yes," Fitzgerald replied. "When he retired, his last contract still had $30 million left on it. My guess is he would look for more."
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That balance comes from the three-year, $95 million extension Donald signed in 2022, a renegotiation that made him the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history at the time, before he walked away after the 2023 season. The obligation doesn't disappear when a player retires; it sits in place while the team retains his rights and contractual commitments. The two sides would now have to negotiate a new agreement.
Where $30 Million Ranks Among Interior Linemen
According to Over The Cap, a $30 million annual value would rank third in the NFL among interior defensive linemen, behind Tennessee's Jeffery Simmons ($35.28 million) and Kansas City's Chris Jones ($31.75 million), and just ahead of Cincinnati's Dexter Lawrence ($28 million).
The Rams have roughly $15 million in cap space, limited by several large contracts already on the books. General Manager Les Snead is regarded as one of the league's most creative cap managers, and Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports the team already has a plan in place if Donald wants top-of-market money for his comeback.
Donald, 35, is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and eight-time All-Pro. The franchise's career sack leader is the fastest defensive tackle to reach 100 sacks, and his 111 total sacks rank second all-time at the position.
No decision appears imminent, but further updates should emerge as the Rams wrap up training camp at Loyola Marymount University and shift to their Woodland Hills facility to prepare for preseason games.
