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McVay implies Aaron Donald leaning towards return

Aaron Donald is expected to return for the Rams.

First seen Aug 01, 2026 · 3:01 AM UTC · last updated Aug 01 6:00 AM

Scoring Zone's Take

That said, hedge your draft capital here. "Expected to return" and "trending upward" are optimistic but non-committal phrases — this isn't a confirmed roster move or a cleared-for-practice report. If you're in an IDP league, monitor this situation closely through the rest of camp and preseason before locking in an early-round pick on him; his value swings significantly based on snap-count expectations and any further update on his practice participation. In non-IDP standard formats, this news has no direct fantasy relevance since defensive linemen aren't scored individually, so no action is needed there.

Bottom line: flag Donald as a add-to-watchlist for IDP drafts with moderate confidence, but don't commit significant draft equity until you see corroborating reports — ideally something concrete on practice reps or preseason snaps — given the current information is still framed around expectation and trending sentiment rather than a finalized outcome.

Fantasy Implication reviewed impact +0.2

Aaron Donald is a defensive tackle who retired after the 2023 season; he has zero standard fantasy football relevance since DL are not scored in typical redraft or dynasty leagues. Even in IDP (Individual Defensive Player) formats, a comeback would be significant — Donald is arguably the best interior defender of his generation and would immediately be a top-tier IDP DL/DT if he returns and stays healthy. For standard leagues, this news has no actionable fantasy impact and shouldn't move any rosters. The broader context (Rams as Super Bowl favorites) is more of a team-outlook story than a fantasy one, though it could marginally support confidence in Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, and Kyren Williams if the team's ceiling is being framed as higher due to defensive improvements.

No action needed in standard/PPR leagues — Donald is not roster-relevant In IDP leagues, monitor situation closely and be ready to add/stash Donald if he officially signs Slight positive signal for Rams offensive skill players (Stafford, Nacua, Williams) given team's contending outlook, but not directly tied to this specific news

Rams' Sean McVay doesn't have Aaron Donald update but 'if there's an arrow, it's trending upwards'

Los Angeles Rams defensive end Myles Garrett addresses the media at 2026 NFL Training Camp.

LOS ANGELES -- Aaron Donald’s potential return to the Los Angeles Rams will not be decided while they are in training camp, but coach Sean McVay said the defensive lineman’s status is “going in the right direction.”

“If there’s an arrow, it’s trending upwards,” McVay said Friday following the Rams’ first practice in full pads.

The Rams are currently working out at Loyola Marymount University through Aug. 6, but McVay indicated any decision on Donald possibly ending his retirement would not come until they return to their facility in the San Fernando Valley.

“That’ll be something that, I think, once we get back to Woodland Hills, we’ll have a better idea of what that timeline looks like. There won’t be any decision and anything in terms of Aaron’s situation while we’re here. That’s kind of already been set out when we’ve talked for the past couple weeks,” McVay said.

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A three-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year and eight-time All-Pro, Donald retired in March 2024 as the Rams’ career leader in sacks with 111 in 154 games. One of the most disruptive linemen in league history, he helped Los Angeles win a title during the 2021 season. Donald made game-ending defensive plays in both the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl LVI.

However, the Rams’ trade for defensive end Myles Garrett has seemingly tempted Donald to at least consider a return. The 35-year-old Donald was photographed working out at the team’s complex, and McVay has repeatedly expressed the organization’s interest in welcoming him back.

“Heck of a player, Hall of Fame player, one of the best to ever do it at his position,” said Rams tight end Tyler Higbee, who was Donald’s teammate for eight seasons. “So, you know, we’ll see. I hope he does (return), but we’ll see. We’ll see.”

Copyright Associated Press 2026

Coverage from Nfl Dot Com News · by Associated Press · Aug 01, 2026 · read original