Rams' Aaron Donald Says He Didn't 'Really' Consider NFL Retirement After 2022 Season

Los Angeles Rams star defensive tackle Aaron Donald is ready to bounce back from an injury-riddled 2022 campaign, but many wondered if he was close to ending his legendary career this offseason.

However, Donald clarified his stance on Wednesday. When asked if he considered retirement over the last few months, Donald told reporters, "Not really."

Donald went on to add, "You never want to end your career the way it kind of was last year, so it never really crossed my mind. I was just trying to do everything I can to get my myself healthy to be here today."

It was Donald himself who fueled speculation that he was ready to call it a career when he took to Twitter and changed his bio to "former" Rams defensive lineman before quickly changing it back.

Many wondered if Donald was giving a subtle hint that a retirement announcement was imminent, but that turned out to not be the case. He cleared up any confusion a couple of days later by tweeting that he plans to continue playing and "never said I wasn't."

The 31-year-old was forced to miss Los Angeles' last six games of the 2022 season after suffering from a high ankle sprain. In his 11 appearances, he racked up 49 total tackles, five sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. It was his first time finishing a season with less than 10 sacks since 2016.

As he enters his 10th season in the NFL, Donald is regarded as one of the best defensive tackles in league history. The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year has been selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his nine years and he earned first-team All-Pro honors in seven straight years from 2015 to 2021.

In addition to getting a healthy Donald back, the Rams are hoping to have star quarterback Matthew Stafford and star receiver Cooper Kupp back at full strength after they missed significant time last season as well.

Los Angeles is looking to bounce back from a 5-12 finish to the year, so it will be up to the strong contingent of veterans to lead the 2021 champions back to the promised land.