There isn’t a player in the NFL with less to prove in 2023 than Aaron Donald. Just don’t tell him that.
The future Hall of Famer is as motivated as ever heading into this season after the year he and the Rams had in 2022. For the first time in his career, Donald missed time due to injury; he was sidelined for six games due to an ankle injury, which required surgery.
And despite all that he’s done in his career up to this point, Donald still feels like he has to make a name for himself in 2023.
“I feel like I’ve got to kind of remake my name all over again because I missed seven games last season with an injury,” Donald said in an interview with Haute Living. “I feel like I need to restart all over again, make a name for myself all over again, and that’s how I’m going about this year.”
By his standards, Donald did have a down year in 2022. He finished with a career-low five sacks and 11 quarterback hits, though he did still have 49 tackles and 10 tackles for a loss in the 11 games he did play. For most defensive tackles, those are decent numbers for a full season. But not for Donald.
He doesn’t want to have another season like the one he endured in 2022, so he’s been working tirelessly to get in ideal shape for Week 1. He even says he’s in the best shape of his life, which is a scary thought for opposing offensive linemen.
“I’m coming off of ankle surgery this season, so I’m trying to keep my body in top shape, pretty much training Monday through Friday and sometimes Saturdays,” he said in the interview. “I’m in the weight room, conditioning, making sure that I’m able to move how I need to move. And honestly, I’m in the best shape of my life. I feel like my strength is where it needs to be. I’m trying to stay away from a lot of fried food, sugars, and things that can cause inflammation, and eat a lot of protein. If I eat certain bad stuff, I just feel like I have to work out. I’ve been doing it for so long that it’s just mental with me now.”
Maybe it’s the fact that the Rams went 5-12. Or maybe it’s that he was ranked outside the top 10 of the NFL’s Top 100 Players list for the first time since 2017. Whatever it is, Donald feels he has something to prove in 2023.
Even John Johnson III doesn’t get it, but he loves that attitude.
“He looks like himself. I’ve been following the Rams even while I was gone and he said he has something to prove. I don’t know what that means,” Johnson said Tuesday, throwing up his hands in disbelief. “I don’t know why he feels like that, but he said he has something to prove this year so, hey, he’s modeling the way and we’re following.”
If Donald feels he has something to prove in 2023, so should everyone else on the Rams.
