EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLOS ANGELES -- Star defensive tackle Aaron Donald is coming out of retirement to try to help the Los Angeles Rams win another Super Bowl.Donald agreed to a one-year, $20 million deal with playoff incentives that can raise the total value of the deal to $30 million, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.The Rams announced Donald's return but did not disclose terms.Donald, who retired in March 2024 after 10 NFL seasons, is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, an eight-time first-team All-Pro, a 10-time Pro Bowl selection and the 2014 Defensive Rookie of the Year.But the Rams' trade for Myles Garrett in June spurred conversation about the possibility of Donald's return for the chance to play with the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.Since the Rams' June 1 trade for Garrett, Donald has been putting himself through a "very strict, regimented process that was similar to what he did when he played" to see whether he could return, head coach Sean McVay said.That process included a workout at Loyola Marymount University, on a players' day off from training camp with members of the Rams' staff present. That week, McVay said Donald "looked outstanding" during the workout.Even before Donald's return, the Rams were the favorite to win Super Bowl LXI, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.Donald has 111 sacks, the second most among primary defensive tackles in a career (behind John Randle's 137.5) since individual sacks became an official statistic in 1982. He holds the Rams' franchise record for career sacks.The Rams are the only team to enter the season with multiple players who won multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards, according to ESPN Research.When Donald appears in a game, he will join Deion Sanders as the only players in NFL history to be a five-time first-team All-Pro, have a 750-day layoff, and return to the NFL, according to ESPN Research.Super Bowl LXI will be played at SoFi Stadium, the Rams' home. The Rams' most recent Super Bowl victory came four years ago in Super Bowl LVI, also played at SoFi Stadium in a game where Donald had two sacks to help Los Angeles defeat the Cincinnati Bengals.Donald has spent his entire NFL career with the Rams, who drafted him with the No. 13 pick in 2014.
