As fun as it would be to see Aaron Donald return to the Los Angeles Rams for a late-season run, it’s not going to happen.
In fact, it can’t.
It could have happened a few weeks ago but at this point in the year, it’s not possible for Donald to simply unretire and play for the Rams in 2024. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk pointed out that players on the reserve/retired list like Donald are unable to return after Week 12. The deadline for them to come off the reserve/retired list is “the final business day before Week 13.”
That may lead to questions about how Eric Weddle was able to come out of retirement and play for the Rams during their Super Bowl run in 2021. The difference is he wasn’t on the reserve/retired list anymore because his contract had expired.
Donald’s deal runs through the 2024 season, which allows the Rams to retain the rights to his contract until it ends. If the Rams were to release him, technically he could play this year. But he would have to pass through waivers before being able to sign back with the Rams and there’s just about a 100% chance another team would put in a claim for the future Hall of Famer.
Via ProFootballTalk:
In theory, the Rams could release Donald from the reserve/retired list and then sign him as a free agent. However, he’d have to pass through waivers. Surely, another team would make a claim.
As fun as it would be for Donald to walk through the locker room doors like Bobby Boucher at halftime of the Bourbon Bowl, it’s simply not in the cards this season – even if Donald wanted to come out of retirement.
And for what it’s worth, he seems very happy in retirement, showing no signs of wanting to play football again. He’s enjoying life after football, as he should after the remarkable career he had.
