Elijah Wells
Contributing Writer
Aaron Donald, a 10-season football defensive tackle, announced his retirement on March 15, 2024. He spent all 10 seasons of his career playing for the Los Angeles Rams, and he is widely recognized as one of the best defensive players in NFL history.
The former NFL Defensive Player of the Year announced his retirement on X, formerly known as Twitter. He highlighted the many experiences he encountered playing in the NFL and thanked all his fans and the Los Angeles Rams organization for their support over the last 10 years.
“For 10 years, I have been fortunate to play the game of football at the highest level,” says Donald. “I’m thankful for the people I’ve met along the way, the relationships I’ve built, and the things I’ve accomplished with my teammates and individually.”
At the age of 23, Donald began his journey in the NFL. He was drafted number 13 overall by the St. Louis Rams in the 2014 NFL Draft.
In his rookie season, he played 16 games but only started 12 games. Donald immediately showcased his glaring potential during his rookie season, and he quickly became the Rams’ primary defensive anchor with many more seasons to come.
At the age of 32, Donald decided to call it a career. He had a very sensational career consisting of a hefty resume of many accomplishments, statistics, and accolades he accumulated during his tenure with the Los Angeles Rams.
For the most part, Donald has never been involved in problematic issues off-the-field.
There was a situation where he was accused of assault derived from events in a bar located in Pittsburgh on April 14, 2021, and was quickly proven innocent with video evidence.
Despite this situation, Donald has formulated a smooth 10-year career with limited distractions, highlighting his discipline and passion for the game of football.
Donald is a one-time Super Bowl winner, being an integral piece of the Los Angeles Rams’ successful Super Bowl run in 2021. Playing against the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl, he converted the game-sealing sack and then orchestrated his very iconic celebration when he pointed at his ring finger with excitement and joy.
That was the fulfilling moment when he knew he had won the Los Angeles Rams their second Super Bowl title in franchise history.
He played 154 games in total, managing to stay healthy for most of his career. Donald experienced seven seasons where he participated in every game of each season, and only experienced three seasons where he couldn’t participate in every game due to injury concerns. The season consisting of the lowest number of games he’s played was in 2022, when he only participated in 11 games.
Throughout his career, Donald converted 543 combined solo and assisted tackles. He accumulated 340 solo tackles and 203 assisted tackles.
He recorded 176 tackles for loss, and he was very proficient in applying pressure to the opposing teams’ quarterbacks, as he recorded 260 quarterback hits along with 111 sacks.
Since day one, Donald has been a devastating force defensively, as he won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2014. He’s also a 10-time Pro Bowler, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and an eight-time First-Team All-Pro.
“Throughout my career, I have given my everything to football, both mentally and physically – 365 days a year was dedicated to becoming the best possible player I could be,” says Donald.
“I respected the game like no other, and I’m blessed to be able to conclude my NFL career with the same franchise that drafted me.”
Upon Donald’s retirement, he is now eligible to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2029. Considering his accomplishments, Donald is expected to be considered a first-ballot hall of famer in NFL history.
