Why Aaron Donald’s Unexpected Break from Football Could Change Everything

Aaron Donald’s exit from the NFL might have dropped jaws across the football world, but if you peek behind the curtain, the man himself was hardly taken by surprise. The Rams’ defensive powerhouse knew the 2023 season would be his swan song long before fans caught wind of it. Imagine stepping onto the field with that quiet certainty—carrying the knowledge that this would be your final curtain call, choosing not to spill the beans and risk becoming a distraction. That’s exactly what Donald did, savoring every second with the youthful squad he helped shape, soaking up the highs and lows like a kid rediscovering the thrill of the game. And here’s the kicker: despite his legendary status, with Hall of Fame enshrinement practically a given, he’s not yearning to lace up those cleats again. It’s not the grind or the game he misses—it’s the brotherhood, the laughter in the locker room, the film sessions with the guys. Now, he’s channeling that fierce drive into whatever’s next, content and fulfilled. Pretty remarkable from a man who could still wreck havoc this weekend if he wanted to. LEARN MORE

Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald surprised the football-following world by retiring after the 2023 season. It didn’t surprise him, at all.

“I knew from when I first walked on the field for training camp that it would be my last year,” Donald told reporters on Wednesday, four days before the team honors him during a Sunday night home game against the Buccaneers. “I didn’t want to share that with you guys. I didn’t want to be a distraction, but my family knew. I knew. I’m pretty sure a couple of the coaches. . . . I know Sean [McVay] had a feel for it because we had conversations prior to me coming back. I knew from the start of the season what it was going to be. That’s why my last year I tried to enjoy it every moment of it, taking it all in, the bad games and the good games. I was just trying to take it in like a kid playing all over again. I felt like I did that. I had a lot of fun my last season. To be with a young group that had a lot of success, to see those guys grow over the years, it’s pretty cool to watch them now.”

So does he miss football?

“No,” Donald said. “To be honest with you, I never have had an itch after I retired to like, ‘I want to come back, I want to play football still.’ You miss things from the game and for me, it’s not really playing the game. It’s being in the locker room, hanging with the guys, watching film, cracking jokes, more the comraderie with the fellas. I’m OK. I’m fulfilled. I’m happy with where I’m at in my life right now and what I’m doing and obviously everything I do I strive for greatness. I felt like I checked that off of football and in the next chapter of life, just transitioning all that into what I’m trying to do and build right now. I love the game of football. I just don’t love playing the game of football anymore.”

He did it well enough to be a first-ballot, no-brainer, mic-drop Hall of Famer. That’s still a few years away, but it’s inevitable.

As inevitable as Donald blowing up the opposing offensive line and wreaking havoc, for more often than not. Which he probably could do this weekend, if he wanted to do it.