Rams’ Aaron Donald plans to play Monday vs. Giants

The star defensive tackle told reporters on Friday that he plans to make his season debut on Monday as the Los Angeles Rams host the New York Giants.

Donald, who came out of retirement ahead of the season to rejoin the Rams, missed the team's Week 1 opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia as he worked his way back into game shape.

“I’m feeling good, knocking the rust off,” Donald said before the regular season began. “I thought I’d be a lot more rusty than I was, but taking it day by day.”

The Rams had spent the previous three seasons developing their interior defensive line depth for a future without Donald, including drafting Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske and signing Poona Ford in free agency. L.A. head coach Sean McVay said his trust in that group to perform at a high level factored into the call to not rush Donald back onto the field immediately.

Across Donald's first 10 NFL seasons, he collected three Defensive Player of the Year awards, 10 Pro Bowl nods and was named to the All-Pro first team eight times. He collected 111 sacks over 154 regular-season games and helped the Rams to a Super Bowl title in 2021.