Retirement of Aaron Donald: His domination in the NFL was unparalleled

Aaron Donald, a defensive lineman entering his eighth NFL season, had a long list of achievements, but one was missing: a Super Bowl ring.
And Donald, whose 10-year career came to an end on Friday when he announced his retirement, was the one who secured the triumph when he and the Los Angeles Rams advanced to Super Bowl LVI in the 2021 season.

Donald pressed Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow on fourth down in a three-point game, forcing an incomplete throw that effectively sealed the Rams’ 23-20 victory. His joy will also live on in memory: he celebrated by running around and pointing to his left ring finger, which is where his first Super Bowl ring would go.

But even before he won that championship, Donald was a dominant offensive player who matched for the most NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors ever with three. In a career that would ultimately result in Donald’s bust in Canton, Ohio, the Super Bowl LVI ring was the last item to be checked off the list.
Former Rams defensive coordinator and Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris told ESPN, “He’s one of a kind.” “And not just because I was his coach. It’s a result of his influence on the game, his inner influence, and his abilities. The image of [Hall of Famers] Lawrence Taylor—”Mean” Joe Greene—must be tolerated by him. He belongs to that line of work.”
After being selected by the St. Louis Rams with the 13th overall pick in the 2014 draft out of Pitt, Donald went on to collect the most career sacks for the team. During his ten NFL seasons, he was chosen for the Pro Bowl eight times and was made a first-team All-Pro in the other six. The 2014 Defensive Rookie of the Year was also Donald.
Donald, along with Taylor (10), is one of just two defensive players since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to be selected to the Pro Bowl in each of their first ten NFL seasons, according to analysis from ESPN Stats & Information.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only two players in NFL history—Donald and Barry Sanders—have played for at least ten seasons and been chosen for the Pro Bowl each year. After playing for ten seasons, Sanders retired in 1998.
On the football field, Morris had the impression that Donald “had done all things he set out to do”.
“I can’t say I’m surprised, it’s just more of the shock value because he has so much left,” Morris said. “When a person leaves when he really doesn’t have to, it kind of gives you that Barry Sanders, Gale Sayers vibe. It’s only right for him now.”
Even though Donald shown that he could still play at the top level in the NFL and was selected to the Pro Bowl again in 2023, he seemed prepared for whatever came after his illustrious football career.
“Throughout my career, I have given my everything to football both mentally and physically — 365 days a year was dedicated to becoming the best possible player I could be,” Donald said in his statement. “… As I turn my focus to a new chapter, I don’t know what the future holds, but I am excited about the off the field possibilities..”
Just a quick glance at Donald reveals that he has the physical characteristics necessary to dominate the line of scrimmage. Legend has it that he works out at the Rams’ facilities, and new players often believed, or at least hoped, that they could keep up with him.
Justin Lovett, the head of strength and conditioning for the Rams, maintained a list with fifteen names on his office whiteboard. This is “AD’s body count,” a roster of athletes who have attempted—and been unable to finish—a workout with Donald since Lovett was brought on board in 2020. Kobie Turner and Desjuan Johnson, two rookie defensive lineman, were added to the list during training camp in 2023.
During one of the first several weeks of training camp, Turner—who led NFL rookies in sacks the previous season—tried to equal Donald. The nose tackle said that he was working out with Donald to some extent, “just at a slower pace.” However, midway through the second day, he had a cramp.
Turner said in September, “That day, I was added to the list.” “But he’s absurd. He spends all of his time there, both in the mornings and after practice. Although it’s hard to attempt to keep up with, it’s nevertheless worthwhile to aim for.”
Donald’s superior strength in the weight room carried over to the field at 6-foot-1 and 280 pounds.
In 2022, guard Justin Pugh of the New York Giants said, “It’s his strength coupled with his size.” “At that size, not many people are that powerful pound for pound. You glance at him and realize that you’re staring down at him. He’s not that large. Additionally, he is stronger than defensive tackles and possesses a get-off faster than any defensive end.He has these exceptional qualities that are almost unheard of inside. Furthermore, you often associate interior defensive linemen with being large, hefty run-stoppers. He now has a different opinion. Additionally, he altered it and paid several players to fill that role.”
Donald’s success was largely due to the attention he received from opposition defenses. As a pass-rusher, Donald was double-teamed a league-high 1,510 times during the previous five years, 135 more than any other player, according to ESPN Analytics/NFL Next Gen Stats. 51 more than any other player (Chris Jones was second with 135), he defeated 186 of them under 2.5 seconds.
“You always try to get four hands on him, and he knows it, and he wins anyway,” Morris said. “And he splits those two-on-ones into various plays. Additionally, he takes his time, never misses with his hands, and has such mastery over your offensive moves that he effectively has you under control.”And he is aware of your desires. Additionally, if he has the opportunity to roam about, he will find a method to confront you one-on-one when you make a mistake and punish you severely.”
The NFL’s average pass rush victory percentage for a qualifying rusher versus a single pass-blocker during the previous five years was 17%. During that time, Donald had an 18% pass rush victory percentage versus double teams, outperforming the average pass rusher over the previous five years while facing two pass-blockers.
Morris said, “He makes you pay in game-changing plays.” “And that was the genius and the beauty of Aaron Donald.”
PLAYING GAMES IN AGAINST For an opposition coach, facing Donald was one of the most intimidating assignments.
Morris described coaching against the future Hall of Famer as “scary,” claiming that Donald’s aggressiveness made opposition quarterbacks want to get rid of the ball quicker than before.
“You did everything you could in the game plan to try to eliminate him from the game or not let him ruin the game,” Morris said. He almost hits your quarterback on a three-step drop when you call a scat on the first play of the game, which was blocked by five offensive linemen. And you think, “That was terrible, and today is going to be a bad day.”
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said that since he was “always listening,” it even caused problems for his teammates during practice.
Stafford described him as “an intelligent player” in October. “He’s hearing our calls.”
Last season, Stafford called for a double-team of defensive tackles while facing the Rams defense during a Friday practice. Donald took a step to the side. Stafford took a different call. After a while, Donald “got up and moved over.”
Stafford said, “I said, ‘I don’t care, just double him.’” He obviously understands what’s going to happen. All I’m doing is looking for him so I can assist. It seems like everyone has a different scheme for it, whether it’s throwing the center his way or chipping with the back. He has probably seen it all and figured out a method to defeat them all.”
Donald “absolutely ruins practices,” according to Morris, because of his dominance on the practice field. “And in order to accomplish certain offensive goals, you must remove him. When you finally get to the game, he has already had enough fun.”
After playing for the Rams his whole NFL career, notably during some tough seasons prior to the hiring of Sean McVay as head coach in 2017 and the acquisition of Stafford in 2021, Donald retires.
Even while his performance in games and on the stat sheet will make him a Hall of Famer, in 2023, those inside the Rams organization will remember Donald for something else.
During the previous offseason, Donald had a meeting with McVay, vice president Tony Pastoors, and Rams general manager Les Snead to talk about the roster alterations that Los Angeles will be making in 2023. The Rams were aware that if Donald chose to play that season, they would be “losing guys that have been big-time contributors” and that their roster would be quite different from prior defensive units.
Snead related to Donald’s response at the meeting.
“He looked you in the eye and said, ‘Here’s the deal … I’m good [to continue playing], just make sure they care,’” recalled Snead.
He was energized by the youthful group of players the Rams assembled around Donald during the draft. Morris saw the youthful group’s excitement often, but never more so than during the Week 13 matchup with the Cleveland Browns, when he witnessed Donald and Turner, after sharing a sack and a safety, jump off the field with their arms wrapped around each other.
“I had never seen Aaron show that type of emotion, skipping with this guy and just youthful bliss for him,” Morris said. And it amply demonstrated the significance of both his identity and his goals. And I felt that was very good.”
With Turner and third-round selection Byron Young being the only rookies in the NFL with at least eight sacks, Donald leaves behind a defense. After the Rams made a playoff run and the veteran appeared revitalized, Donald’s retirement may have come as a shock to many who were still in awe of what he was still able to do on the field. But maybe the whole point was to walk out as powerfully as he’d entered.
“I don’t think he wants to see a whole lot of decline in this game on the way out,” Morris said. “He wants to be more than simply a gruff veteran trying to make ends meet. He seems to constantly want to be in charge.”

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