Aaron Donald might be the best defensive player in the NFL. The defensive tackle had another excellent season for the Los Angeles Rams, finishing with 12.5 sacks and putting terror into the eyes of opposing quarterbacks all year. Donald’s dominant play on the defensive line is a big reason the Rams are in Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals, but if the Rams win the game, they might lose Donald to retirement.
Aaron Donald may retire if Rams win Super Bowl LVI, per report
There’s a “strong possibility” Donald could retire if the Rams beat the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.
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Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
Donald reportedly told NBC’s Rodney Harrison that there’s a “strong possibility” he could retire if the Rams beat the Bengals to win Super Bowl LVI. Here’s Harrison’s report from just before kick-off:
Donald’s potential retirement was mentioned again later in the broadcast.
Donald will turn 31 in May. This is his eighth season in the NFL. The Rams were in the Super Bowl LIII a few years back, but lost to the Patriots despite the defense only allowing 14 points.
We’ve seen NFL players walk away from the game at a young age before. Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson stand out as two prime examples. Donald is young enough and great enough to remain a productive player for years to come, but professional football is a brutal game on a player’s body. Sometimes walking away early is the smartest thing a player can do.
Will the Super Bowl be Donald’s last game? Stay tuned to find out.
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