Ex-Pro Bowl DB shares overlooked benefit of Aaron Donald possibly returning

Recently, Los Angeles Rams legend Aaron Donald was spotted working out at the team’s facility in Woodland Hills. The Rams have let Donald use their facility in retirement, with his recent workout being nothing more than a continuation of his post-playing workout regimen. However, the image of Donald gracing the gridiron has many hoping that it reignites the fire to inspire a return to the NFL.

On “Good Morning Football”, former NFL safety Donte Whitner spoke about the possibility of Donald coming back, pointing out that while Donald would be welcomed on the field, his presence in the facility could be the key to fixing a massive problem that prevented the team from winning a championship in 2025.

“Think about this: The greatest defender of this generation walks into the building. You know what instantly happens? Everybody’s standard rises,” Whitner said. “The front office members, the coaching staff, and especially the players, and even if Aaron Donald isn’t playing every week – I’ve heard that he’s probably going to play eight games minimum – his presence still matters. The young players can watch how he studies, prepares, communicates, goes about his business. The veterans are reminded what championship-level work looks like, and you know you have a coach. He can talk about greatness all he wants, but when Aaron Donald walks in that building, that’s greatness in the flesh. So I think it elevates everybody around you, and it does give you extreme Super Bowl expectancy.”

The Rams’ defense had a self-reported maturity issue entering the NFC Championship Game, and when the team failed to stop the Seattle Seahawks‘ offense early, their problems balled up into a series of failures that would result in a loss.

The team did fix the issue with the additions of Super Bowl champions Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, along with superstar defender Myles Garrett, but if Donald is around, that’s a player who finished the job for the Rams during their last championship run. Setting a standard that high among the characters in the Rams’ locker room would build a flexible, formidable, and near-impenetrable defense – at least in theory.