Los Angeles — Aaron Donald spent ten years flattening quarterbacks, crushing ball carriers, battling constant double teams, and ruining NFL offences. He was persistent, dependable, and infinitely resourceful as he guided the Los Angeles Rams to a Super Bowl victory.

On Friday, Donald decided that a decade of supremacy was enough.

His generation’s most outstanding defensive lineman has retired after an illustrious 10-year career.

The three-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year made his rather unexpected revelation over social media. He does not want to hold a retirement news conference or a public farewell, but his impact on the Rams and the NFL is already immeasurable.

Aaron Donald Announces His Retirement After A Standout 10-Year Career With The Rams

Donald, 32, has spent his whole career with the Rams, who chose him in the first round in 2014 out of Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh native made ten Pro Bowls and eight All-Pro first teams, and he was named the league’s best defensive player in 2017, 2018, and 2020.

“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,” he said. “I revered this game like no other, and I’m grateful to be able to finish my NFL career with the same team that picked me. Few people get drafted, win a world title, and retire with the same squad. I don’t and won’t take that for granted.”

Despite being smaller than many top defensive tackles, Donald used his exceptional quickness and game knowledge to cause havoc on offence throughout his career. He was the cornerstone of the Ram’s defence during his time, pulling constant double-teams away from his teammates while still amassing a franchise-record 111 sacks, third in the NFL among active players.

After earning the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2014, Donald rose to prominence after the Rams relocated from St. Louis to Los Angeles in 2016. In 2018, he recorded a career-high 20 1/2 sacks en route to his first Super Bowl berth under coach Sean McVay.

He subsequently played an important role in the Rams’ journey to a Super Bowl triumph three years later, most notably delivering pressure that caused Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow to pass incomplete at midfield on the Bengals’ final play of Los Angeles’ 23-20 victory in Super Bowl 56.

Following that stop, Donald produced another iconic moment in the Rams’ championship season by removing his helmet, pointing to his ring finger, and saying, “Ring me!” His triumphant, shirtless ride atop a double-decker bus during the Rams’ victory parade in Los Angeles is another memorable moment in team history.

“The great players in our league elevate the people around them, and Aaron has modeled the way for our team as long as I’ve been with the Rams,” McVay stated in an e-mail. “He’s an elite competitor, someone who leads by example in a way that’s authentic to him, and an exceptional teammate who inspires everyone around him to be the best version of themselves.”

Lawrence Taylor and J.J. Watt are the only players to have won the Defensive Player of the Year award three times. Since sacks became an official statistic in 1982, only John Randle (137 1/2) has had more sacks than Donald among defensive linemen.

Aaron Donald Announces His Retirement After A Standout 10-Year Career With The Rams

Although he spent most of his time away from football, living quietly with his wife and four children, Donald’s obvious talent and McVay’s coaching skills have been the two most important elements in the Rams’ rise in the Los Angeles sports hierarchy since their return home. During McVay’s seven years with Donald, the Rams won six seasons, five playoff berths, three NFC West titles, two Super Bowl trips, and a championship while winning over many hesitant fans in the country’s second-largest market.

Donald was expected to earn more than $34 million this season under the parameters of a deal renegotiated nearly two years ago. Although Donald has flirted with retirement in private for the past two seasons, neither the Rams nor Donald publicly admitted that his departure was a viable possibility.

However, in the last two months, Super Bowl-winning defensive coordinator Raheem Morris has become head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, while defensive line coach Eric Henderson has left to take a similar position at Southern California. Henderson and Donald are close friends.

“We are so grateful for Aaron’s dedication to greatness and for leading our franchise on and off the field for the past decade,” Stan Kroenke, owner of the Los Angeles Rams, stated. “He has made an indelible impression on generations of football fans, and his achievements, combined with his work ethic and enthusiasm, continue to inspire his colleagues, coaches, and athletes around the world. It is an honor to have witnessed one of the greatest players of all time, and we are thrilled that Aaron Donald will forever be a part of NFL history as a Rams player.”

Donald’s offseason training regimen was notoriously difficult, but he has expressed his appreciation for it because of the work ethic his father instilled in him, who turned Donald from a self-described “lazy little kid” into a powerhouse. Donald’s seven-figure commitment to Pitt made it possible for him to visit Pittsburgh during the Rams’ offseasons to work out at the Aaron Donald Football Performance Center.

Donald had 543 career tackles, including 176 tackles for loss and 24 forced fumbles. He recorded 34 tackles and six sacks in 11 postseason games.

Donald was also extraordinarily durable, missing only six games due to injury across his 10-year career, all of which came late in the 2022 season when the Rams were already out of postseason contention.

Aaron Donald Announces His Retirement After A Standout 10-Year Career With The Rams

“He meant so much,” said linebacker Bobby Wagner, Donald’s 2022 teammate. “The actual thing was to watch him work and work out. Few D-linemen work in both the film room and on the field. He’s accomplished so much in his career, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he has in store. A wonderful human being. Amazing player. “One of the greatest.”

Only one player who previously played in St. Louis remains on the Rams’ roster: Rob Havenstein, the team’s starting right tackle.

SOURCE – (AP)