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· collected 2026-08-31 · by Ryan Gaydos
Aaron Donald revealed that his wife's advice helped him decide to come out of retirement and re-join the Los Angeles Rams for the 2026 season. He signed a one-year, $20 million deal with the team. According to Donald, his wife was crucial in convincing him to return to football, telling him "If you want to do this, (I'm) with (you) 100%". Donald stated that he took his time and had hard conversations with his wife before making a decision.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-31,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Aaron Donald, the defensive lineman for the Los Angeles Rams, has revealed that his wife's advice helped him decide to come out of retirement and re-join the team for the 2026 season. He signed a one-year, $20 million deal to bolster the defense, which already includes Myles Garrett, acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Browns. Donald credited his wife, Erica Donald, for playing a huge part in his decision-making process, saying she was 100% supportive of him returning to the field. He noted that he had to have conversations with her and their household to ensure they were all on board with his decision. Despite having days where he wasn't sure what to do, Erica's encouragement helped him take his time and make a decision.
Written for “Aaron Donald Returns to Rams” on 2026-08-31,
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No political leaning scored for article 3154 · logged 2026-08-31
Aaron Donald detailed the conversations he needed to have with his wife before he decided to come out of retirement and re-join the Los Angeles Rams for the 2026 season.
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he → detail → season
Donald signed a one-year, $20 million deal to bolster a defense that already includes Myles Garrett, who the Rams acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Browns in the offseason.
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Rams → sign → offseason
While Erica Donald posted on X, "I let him out of the house y’all," the brooding NFL defensive lineman told reporters he had to make sure his wife and household were good with him going back onto the field.
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him → post → field
"I think my wife played a huge part of me making this decision period because if the wife wasn't happy, it wasn't going to get done.
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it → think → period
I got to make sure that the household was good, the kids were okay with it all," he said.
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he → get → it
"Then having the hard conversations, figuring things out, what I wanted to do.
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I → have → what
If I was to do it, how would we do it?
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we → do → it
She said, 'If you want to do this, (I'm) with (you) 100%,' and there were days when I was like, 'I don't know.'
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I → say → you
She talked to me enough to be like, 'You want to do this.
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You → talk → this
Don't make no decisions faster than what you need to make a decision.
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you → make → decision
She played a huge part of me figuring this out because it really wasn't an easy decision.
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it → play → this
It took a lot of hard work, a lot of long conversations with a lot of different people, but I felt good enough to make the decision to come back and do this."
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I → take → this
Donald said he was on the fence about actually coming out of retirement.
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he → say → retirement
He said he spoke to Rams head coach Sean McVay almost every day to give him updates on where he was at about possibly coming back.
uncertain
he → say → where
"To be honest with you, it was on and off for a while, but I think we knew this decision about two weeks (ago).
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we → think → decision
I knew the world was saying all types of different things and nobody knew what was going on, but I knew for two weeks," Donald said.
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Donald → know → weeks
"Then, I talked to Sean every single week, damn near every day.
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I → talk → Sean
We stayed in contact.
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We → stay → contact
I gave him all my updates, how I was feeling, how things were going.
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things → give → updates
I know he got annoyed with [media] asking all the questions in camp every damn day.
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media → know → camp
I felt bad for him at that point, but I was doing everything I needed to do to give myself peace of mind and see if I can do it.
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I → feel → it
I just wanted to take my time and make the right decision because once you choose to come back, you’re all the way back in.
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you → want → decision
You can't be halfway in, you (have to) be all the way in it.
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you → have → it
I had to get to that point where I felt like I'm 100% committed to playing football again because the last two years have been amazing.
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years → have → football
Building things that I've been building, working on what I've been working on, working from home, and jumping back in the fire playing football again.
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I → build → football
So, I really had to sit back, think about it, not just from the physical aspect (but) from the mental aspect as well.
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I → have → aspect
Everything just played out how it played out and we're here now."
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we → play → ?
Donald retired after the 2023 season.
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Donald → retire → season
Donald was on the team when the Rams won the Super Bowl in 2021.
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Rams → win → 2021
He has logged 111 sacks and 543 tackles in 154 career games.
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He → log → games
