Add The California Post on Google For over two years, Aaron Donald belonged to the Rams’ past.
But on Monday night, the future Hall of Famer will become part of their present.
Donald announced on Friday that the plan is for him to make his highly anticipated return against the Giants on “Monday Night Football,” sending a jolt through the Rams’ locker room that was in need of one after a miserable Week 1 trip to Australia.
“That’s the plan,” Donald said when asked directly if he’ll play against the Giants on Monday night. “I’m feeling really good. I feel a lot better now that I got more practice under my belt instead of one. I’m getting in the groove of things, understanding everything a lot better out there, playing a lot more free, a lot more loose and looking more like myself to me.”
The timing for Donald to return and come roaring out of the SoFi Stadium tunnel again could not be any better.
The Rams were blown out by the 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, with Myles Garrett finishing without a tackle, sack or quarterback hit. Garrett underwent a knee procedure Monday and is expected to miss at least four weeks.
That’s where Donald can help fill the pass-rush void left in Garrett’s wake.
Donald retired following the 2023 season and spent two years away from football before stunning the NFL with his comeback announcement at the end of August.
Now his teammates are getting an up-close reminder of the superstar player they had during the 2023 season.
“Watching him in practice, he hasn’t missed a step,” Byron Young said. “Losing Myles, that’s a big piece that we lost. And now Aaron is supposed to be coming back this week. I’m very excited about that.”
Young played alongside Donald as a rookie in 2023. Kobie Turner did, too.
“AD is AD,” Turner said. “You guys will see it on Monday.”
Donald even laughed off the possibility that New York could greet him with the double and triple teams that followed him throughout his career.
“They ain’t worried about me, man,” Donald joked. “They don’t have to worry about me at all.”
Trent McDuffie expects SoFi Stadium to erupt when Donald emerges from the tunnel. Young went a step further.
“It’s going to be crazy. It’s going to be chaos,” Young said. “That’s somebody who poured into the game and gave everything back to the city.”
Turner believes Donald’s presence will give the defense schematic flexibility. His return will give the Rams something else, too.
After Australia drained the life out of its season opener, Los Angeles is bringing one of the greatest players in franchise history back home under the Monday night lights.
They’ve done it before when he retired, but now he’ll be back in pads and chasing Jaxson Dart all over the field.
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