Aaron Donald Rumors: Confidants Believe Star Is Split Between Retiring, Rams Return

Despite teasing running it back during the Super Bowl LVI parade, Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald may not return to the NFL in 2022. 

Per Sports Illustrated's Greg Bishop, "Donald's confidants believe he's split" between wanting to keep playing and retiring. 

Bishop did note anyone placing bets "should put their money on another season," but it is "far from the certainty that has been hopefully described."

Talk of Donald potentially retiring came out of nowhere shortly before kickoff in the Super Bowl.

Rodney Harrison of NBC Sports said on the network's pregame show that Donald told him there is a "strong possibility" he'd walk away if the Rams won the Lombardi Trophy. 

Los Angeles beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20, with Donald making the final two stops during the Bengals' final drive to seal the win. 

When the Rams were celebrating with their fans in Los Angeles during the championship parade on Feb. 16, Donald did tease running it back after some encouragement from head coach Sean McVay:

Speaking to Bishop about his thought process, Donald said he's considering retirement because he's "thinking about my kids, first, always."

Bishop noted that Donald and his wife, Erica, live in Southern California with their six-month-old son, Aaric. Donald also has two children from a previous relationship, Jaeda and Aaron Jr., who live in Pittsburgh. 

"Jaeda, now 8 and his oldest, started first grade in 2018, and because of school and activities, she couldn’t fly out to visit as often as before," Bishop wrote. "Her father won his second DPOY that season, but it wasn’t only the Rams' loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII that left him in a 'bad place mentally.' What tugged at him felt bigger, more existential, filling him with anxiety and dread."

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Sunday that Donald and the Rams are working on a contract extension "that could be done sooner than later." 

Donald has been the most dominant defensive player in the NFL since being drafted No. 13 overall in 2014. He has never finished lower than fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting except for his rookie campaign, when he won Defensive Rookie of the Year,  and has earned the DPOY award three times. 

The eight-time Pro Bowler has 226 quarterback hits, 150 tackles for loss and 98 sacks in 127 career regular-season games.