Sean McVay on an Aaron Donald Comeback: Not at That Point Quite Yet

The Rams coach says the club is working through benchmarks with the retired three-time Defensive Player of the Year, who has been training in front of team staff while Los Angeles opens preseason play 1-0.

Aaron Donald retired, but the door at Woodland Hills never fully closed. Rams coach Sean McVay told reporters the team is not ready to call it a comeback, saying we're not at that point quite yet while confirming the two sides have kept talking.

During training camp, Donald worked out in front of defensive line coach Giff Smith and Rams trainers. Videos posted to social media showed him hitting a blocking sled at UCLA and running speed and agility drills at the team's facility.

What McVay Actually Said

McVay described great dialogue with Donald and acknowledged tentative discussions behind the scenes. Per the LA Times, the open questions are Donald's own benchmarks: whether he can stack back-to-back days at 35 years old against NFL offensive lines.

A return would ripple through the roster. Los Angeles would owe decisions on players in the final years of rookie deals, and cap math built for life after the eight-time All-Pro would need rewriting.

Meanwhile, the Preseason Rolls

The Rams opened exhibition play with a 20-12 win over the Kansas City Chiefs behind a steady debut from rookie quarterback Ty Simpson. New Orleans visits SoFi Stadium on Saturday, August 22, at 1:00 PM PT.

Keep an eye on the blocking sled clips making the rounds. Donald training at UCLA in August with Super Bowl LXI landing at SoFi in February is the kind of hometown script LA does not get to ignore. The Playbook rail will carry every preseason snap either way.

More from Sports