The Los Angeles Rams have an exciting team heading into the 2026 season. Not only did they trade for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in Myles Garrett, but they may lure a former superstar out of retirement to join him on the defensive line. Let’s take a closer look at who could be returning to the team for the 2026 season.
return to the team
While speaking to the media on Thursday, Los Angeles Chargers coach garrett" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Sean McVay discussed that he would unsurprisingly be open to a return of the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, defensive tackle Aaron Donald. However, the decision is ultimately his to make.
“Aaron’s a guy that I stay really close in touch with and I know the respect he has for Myles [Garrett]. Talked to [Donald] about the opportunity to be able to bring [Garrett] on board. If Aaron decides he wants to dust them off at the age of 35, I bet you he could still do it at a pretty high clip.”
“Aaron’s a guy that I stay really close in touch with and I know the respect he has for Myles [Garrett]. Talked to [Donald] about the opportunity to be able to bring [Garrett] on board. If Aaron decides he wants to dust them off at the age of 35, I bet you he could still do it at a pretty high clip.”
There have been multiple returns post-retirement to the league over the previous handful of seasons. Donald could likely wait until after the preseason and return during the regular season, similar to what the Philadelphia Eagles did with Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joseph in 2022. Donald has not played since the 2023 season, so with two full seasons off, it would be intriguing to see what percentage of that first-team All-Pro player he still has in him.
The Los Angeles Rams defensive line, consisting of Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald, would be destructive to say the least. With Donald at least teasing a possibility, that has to get the Los Angeles Rams excited about what could be a very memorable 2026 season.
