Aaron Donald has been the best defensive player in the NFL over the last 10 years. So when he retired this offseason after playing just those 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, it caught much of the NFL world by surprise.
It did not, however, catch Rams head coach Sean McVay without some expectation it was coming. As McVay related to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Donald told him the day after the team’s playoff loss in Detroit to the Lions that he was done.
Or rather, “I’m full,” Donald told McVay as quoted by Breer.
He had just one solo tackle and was not credited with a single QB hit on Jared Goff in Detroit’s wild card round win, the team’s first playoff victory in over 30 years.
Donald had pondered retirement one year earlier but elected to come back for one more ride. Just like Lions legend Barry Sanders, Donald leaves with his body relatively intact after just 10 spectacular NFL seasons.
