Aaron Donald is back with the Rams, but he’s not all the way back yet.
Two days after officially announcing his return from retirement, Donald sat out Monday’s practice, and his availability for Week 1 in Australia is genuinely uncertain.
Why Donald Sat Out So Soon After Returning
Donald practiced Sunday after making his comeback official, but coach Sean McVay said Monday’s absence was always part of the plan.
The Rams are managing his workload carefully rather than throwing him straight into a full workload.
McVay acknowledged the process is unusual, since no player has attempted a return quite like this.
He said the team is leaning on senior vice president of sports medicine and performance Reggie Scott to help determine how quickly Donald can ramp up.
Missing the Opener Is a Real Possibility
Asked directly whether Donald could miss the season opener, McVay didn’t rule it out.
“That could be a possibility,” he said, adding that he doesn’t want to force artificial timelines onto the process.
The Rams face a logistical wrinkle on top of the football decision.
The team travels to Melbourne, Australia for the opener against the 49ers, and coaches want clarity on Donald’s status before subjecting a 35-year-old coming off two years away from football to a 15-hour flight for nothing.
McVay said the team wouldn’t play Donald in Australia unnecessarily if he isn’t truly ready, framing player health as the priority over any short-term temptation to rush him onto the field.
Donald’s Own Timeline Stays Vague
Donald has been out of the league since January 2024, and he’s been similarly noncommittal about being ready for Week 1.
He said he needs to reach the level he wants to play at and isn’t interested in rushing the process.
Both Donald and McVay have described this stretch as a day-by-day evaluation rather than a fixed countdown to kickoff.
That leaves the door open for him to debut anywhere from Week 1 onward, depending on how his body responds to increased practice reps.
How Donald’s New Contract Accounts for the Uncertainty
Donald’s revised deal seems built with exactly this scenario in mind.
He signed a one-year contract worth up to $30 million, including $10 million in bonus money tied directly to being on the active roster each week.
That bonus pays out at roughly $666,667 per game across a maximum of 15 games.
Structured that way, missing Week 1, or sitting out load-management weeks like Week 18, wouldn’t cost him a shot at the full $10 million if he’s active for enough of the season.
What Happens Next
The 49ers depart for Australia on Sept. 2, but the Rams aren’t leaving until later in the week, buying Donald and the coaching staff a few extra days to make the call.
Whether he suits up in Melbourne now comes down to how his practice reps look before that flight.
