Super Bowl LVI champ Aaron Donald admits he would NOT have returned to the NFL if Rams head coach Sean McVay hadn’t been there… he reveals he wants to continue building his “legacy” with him
- Both Aaron Donald and Sean McVay have had retirement rumors floating around
- The two were finally able to win a Super Bowl on their second attempt last season
- Donald added that if McVay eventually leaves, he would likely do the same
Although Aaron Donald only played eight seasons in the NFL, rumors of his retirement circulated both before and after he won the Lombardi Trophy with the Los Angeles Rams.
Donald, the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, almost confirmed there was some truth to those rumors during an interview with NFL Network on Saturday.
When asked if he would have returned to play for the Rams if his head coach Sean McVay had left, Donald said he would not have done so.
‘Not at all. Not at all,” Donald told analysts in an interview during NFL Network’s “Training Camp: Back Together Saturday.”
Aaron Donald’s appearance in Super Bowl LVI gave the Rams their first title since 1999
Donald and McVay have appeared in two Super Bowls together and finally won one last season
“If Sean isn’t here—I told Sean when he got here. We came up with some ideas early on and I said to him first that as long as he’s the head coach here I want to continue building my legacy with him.
“As long as he’s here and I have the ability to still play at a high level, I’ll be here. When he’s gone and all is said and done, I’ll probably hang it up too.’
McVay has also had rumors of his retirement floating around, with the thought that the 36-year-old could be heading to TV.
Both Donald and McVay worked wonders together during their years with the Rams.
After contemplating retirement, Donald is back with the Rams for another season
Since being drafted 13th overall by the University of Pittsburgh in 2014, Donald has received numerous awards, eight Pro Bowl appearances, three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and seven NFL All- Awards received -Pro first teams.
McVay became the youngest NFL head coach in modern times when he was hired at the age of 30.
In the five seasons he has led, the Rams have made four playoff appearances, including two Super Bowl berths.
The first appearance in Super Bowl LIII wasn’t nearly as joyous as the Rams lost 13-3 to the New England Patriots.
| season | recording | Postseason results |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 11-5, 1st at NFC West | Lost in the wild card round to the Atlanta Falcons (13-26) |
| 2018 | 13-3, 1st at NFC West | Lost Super Bowl LIII to the New England Patriots (3-13) |
| 2019 | 9-7, 3rd at NFC West | Didn’t qualify |
| 2020 | 10-6, 2nd at NFC West | Lost to Green Bay Packers in divisional round (18-32) |
| 2021 | 12-5, 1st at NFC West | Won Super Bowl LVI vs. Cincinnati Bengals (23-20) |
The Patriots team was led by then-quarterback Tom Brady, whose Tampa Bay Buccaneers team lost to the Rams in the NFC divisional round that season.
Brady, who briefly retired this offseason and then never retired, joked about Donald’s playing ability and training videos.
“I see Aaron Donald training on my Instagram,” the quarterback told The Dan Patrick Show.
“I’m like, ‘Damn, maybe I should have retired.’ He’s a beast.”
Donald is back at pre-season training camp as the Rams prepare for the upcoming season
Since McVay took over in 2017, Donald has posted at least 11 sacks each season