EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsWhile reports swirled in the NFL offseason that Aaron Donald might unretire and return to the Los Angeles Rams, a potential hurdle could have stood in the way of Donald's decision: his wife, Erica.Aaron's possible return -- and Erica's involvement -- dates back to June 1, when Los Angeles acquired defensive end Myles Garrett in a blockbuster deal.ESPN's Pat McAfee said on his show the following day he had reached out to Donald and that the trade got Donald thinking about coming back. Reports followed that the defensive tackle might indeed come out of retirement to play for the Rams.That prompted a simple yet definitive response from Erica on her X account the same day. She wrote: "Y'all are hilarious." Rams fans replied to the post in waves, jokingly asking Erica to allow Donald to unretire. One user even said: "7 months Erica!!! And you'll NEVER hear from us again." Another asked: "Mrs. Donald, can Aaron come out and play?"Erica has posted cryptically on X since then, including on Aug. 5, when she shared: "Yall gotta start getting this stuff right." That came a day after Donald worked out at the Rams facility, adding more fuel to a potential return.The Rams and their fans got their wish almost three months later. On Sunday, Los Angeles announced that Donald presumably received Erica's blessing. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year will return on a one-year, $20 million deal that could reach $30 million to team up with two-time Defensive Player of the Year Garrett.Erica opted for a humorous response to the news, writing on X: "I let him out the house y'all," with laughing, blue heart and heart hands emojis. Fans similarly replied to her post, with one writing: "yall both getting statues outside of sofi [stadium]."However, opposing fans expressed their disdain. One joked: "Ma'am...for the sake of the rest of the NFL...get his ass back in the house" with laughing emojis.Donald's former Rams teammate and current Pittsburgh Steelers safety Jalen Ramsey called Erica "the real MVP." Donald and Erica met while she worked with the Rams, according to People magazine, and they are married with two kids. Now, they'll embark together on the second chapter of Donald's NFL career.And as the popular saying goes, happy wife, happy life. But in this case, it's happy Rams too.
