Sports

Aaron Donald's contract could be biggest hurdle in Rams return

Los Angeles Rams On SI · Jul 22, 2026 14:53 · 3 min read

Aaron Donald's Contract Could Be Biggest Hurdle in Rams Return — Oct 8, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) warms up prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Aaron Donald could return to the Rams, but fitting him under the salary cap and negotiating a new contract won't be easy.

The Los Angeles Rams are getting close to reporting to training camp and there is continued speculation about an Aaron Donald return to the team. While it remains unlikely that he will return to the Rams for training camp, Donald is continuing to work to get himself in football shape.

When it comes to a Donald return, the decision is the easy part. There is a lot more that both sides would need to figure out and that starts with his contract. When Donald retired following the 2023 season, he walked away from $30 million in 2024.

Aaron Donald's Contract Creates a New Problem

Donald retiring and then returning two years later certainly complicates things. While Donald’s contract was set to expire in 2024, when he retired, the contract froze. If Donald were to come back, he’d still be under contract from the Rams. ESPN’s Adam Schefter touched on this on Tuesday.

“He’s currently under contract to the Rams for $30 million and I don’t know if the Rams are going to pay him $30 million as much as he’d like to make that,” said Schefter. “If he wants to come back, all he has to do is say, ‘I want to come back,’ and then it would be up to the Rams to sit down with Donald to come up with a compromised contract solution that would work for both sides.”

Why a Return to the Rams Would Require a New Deal

Still, it’s unlikely that Donald plays on the same deal that he retired on. Following Donald’s retirement, the Rams restructured Donald’s deal to free up around $9.2 million in cap space. The Rams converted his roster bonus, which was already guaranteed, to a signing bonus. They also took $8.79 million of his salary, which was going to become guaranteed, and added it to his $20 million option bonus.

While the Rams have paid $33.5 million in dead money to Donald, all of that was a signing bonus that was left over. If Donald were to return, there are no guarantees left on his contract because they’ve all been paid out. It’s highly unlikely that Donald plays on a contract without any guarantees.

Additionally, the Rams don’t have $30 million in cap space. The Rams can create that cap space by restructuring Matthew Stafford’s and Davante Adams’ contracts. However, despite Jason Fitzgerald from OverTheCap predicting that Donald will want more, it seems unlikely. The Rams can also lower the cap hit this year by adding void years to the deal, pushing prorated cap charges into future seasons.

The Rams Have Options Under the Salary Cap

The ideal scenario would be for the Rams to pay Donald $8 million this year and then add void years to the deal that would be paid out later. That would allow the Rams to continue as is and not have to touch any other contracts. However, it may be more likely for the Rams to try and get Donald at around $15 million for the season and then add void years.

This will certainly be a situation to watch. At the end of the day, the decision is the easy part. From there, the Rams need to figure out how to fit Donald under the salary cap and find a deal that makes sense for both sides. For the Rams, that’s not $30 million and from Donald’s side, it includes some guaranteed money.