Aaron Donald will not play when the Los Angeles Rams face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year was ruled out Friday after missing all three of the Rams’ practices during the week with a back issue. Donald’s absence is a significant blow for Los Angeles, which is still managing his workload after he returned from retirement this season.
The veteran defensive tackle’s back soreness surfaced after the Rams’ Week 3 loss to the Denver Broncos. Donald played against Denver after making his 2026 debut the previous week against the New York Giants.
Aaron Donald Is Dealing With a Back Injury
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Rams head coach Sean McVay said Donald is “not feeling good enough” to play against Philadelphia and explained that it would be irresponsible to put him on the field under those circumstances.
Donald has been working to get the back issue under control, and McVay said the team is optimistic that better days are ahead. There has been no indication that the injury is expected to be a long-term problem.
The timing is notable because Donald had only recently returned to the NFL. He sat out the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia while ramping up before playing against the Giants and Broncos.
Donald’s absence leaves Los Angeles without one of its biggest defensive names for a difficult road matchup against Philadelphia. The Rams entered the game at 1-2 after blowing a 16-point halftime lead in their 30-26 loss to Denver.
The Eagles will also be without several key players, including DeVonta Smith, Zack Baun and Dallas Goedert, so both teams are dealing with notable absences.
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