Speculation over an Aaron Donald return to the Los Angeles Rams picked up more momentum this week, this time from a fellow NFL veteran who has known Donald since they entered the league together. Linebacker Kyle Van Noy told TMZ Sports he believes Donald could pair with newly acquired pass rusher Myles Garrett to form something special if he decides to come out of retirement.
A shared draft class, different paths
Van Noy and Donald both entered the NFL in the 2014 draft class and are both 35 years old, though their paths have diverged sharply since. Van Noy remains an active free agent weighing his next move, while Donald walked away from the game in 2024 after a decorated decade with the Rams. Speaking to TMZ Sports at LAX this week, Van Noy said he has no doubt Donald could still perform at an elite level, describing him as talented enough that pairing him with Garrett would make for a formidable defensive front.
Why the comeback talk keeps building
The speculation traces back to the Rams’ trade for Garrett, the reigning NFL defensive player of the year, acquired from the Cleveland Browns earlier this offseason. Since then, Donald has done little to shut down chatter about a possible return, and head coach Sean McVay has echoed that openness publicly, saying there would be an opportunity for Donald if he wanted it. McVay has also spoken about staying closely in touch with his former star, noting the mutual respect between Donald and Garrett.
Fresh footage adds fuel
The rumors intensified further after TMZ Sports captured video of Donald working out at the Rams practice facility on July 10, going through drills for roughly an hour. Reports from the session described Donald pushing himself through extensive conditioning work, appearing noticeably fatigued as he left the field, a detail that only added to speculation he may be preparing his body for an actual return rather than simply staying in shape. Donald has kept access to the Rams facility since retiring and has trained there periodically over the past two years, but on field drills mark a departure from his usual offseason routine.
What a return would mean for the Rams
An eight time All Pro and former defensive player of the year himself, Donald last played in 2023, recording eight sacks in what turned out to be his final season. Pairing him with Garrett, even in a reduced role, would give the Rams one of the most formidable defensive line duos in the league heading into a season where the team is already viewed as a Super Bowl contender. Unlike his final years in L.A., when Donald often had to anchor a rebuilding defense largely on his own, a potential return now would place him alongside a roster built to win immediately, freeing him from carrying the same load he did in years past.
Van Noy’s own free agency remains unsettled
While Donald’s future dominates the headlines, Van Noy’s own path forward remains something of an open question. The two time Super Bowl champion said he currently has multiple teams to choose from as a free agent, though he made clear his preference leans toward a return to the New England Patriots, the franchise where he first won a title. With training camps opening across the league in the coming weeks, both storylines, Donald’s potential comeback and Van Noy’s next destination, are likely to come into focus soon.
