Aaron Donald Says 'I Don't Miss' Football After NFL Retirement, No 'Passion' to Play

Former Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald is enjoying life in retirement after a legendary NFL career.

“As far as playing football, I don’t miss it,” Donald said on the Panthers Insider Show on 93.7 The Fan. “I don’t even have the passion or excitement to want to play football. I will always love football, but once you lose the passion, it was time to walk away.”

The former Ram retired after the 2023 season and now has a full year of retirement under his belt. Donald said he knew it was the right time to walk away from the game after feeling his passion fade and wanting to prioritize time with his family.

“I worked my ass off to put myself in the position today to do things like this now. It truly is special," Donald continued. "It’s emotional and I get to share these moments with my family, my kids.”

The Rams have made it clear they would welcome Donald back with open arms if he ever chose to come out of retirement, especially given he’s still just 33 years old and left the game at a high level.

"I did mention [to Aaron Donald] if we happen to get to the playoffs again, maybe we'll circle back and see," general manager Les Snead said in an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show (6:05 mark).

However, head coach Sean McVay called the idea of reaching out to Donald post-retirement "disrespectful," emphasizing that the organization fully supports his decision to step away from the game.

"I would almost feel disrespectful reaching out to him, just based on the principles and knowing him the way that I do," McVay said, per Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times. "If that was something that he got interested in, then that would obviously be something that you're always open to."

Donald walked away from an incredible 10-year career that included 10 Pro Bowl selections, eight All-Pro honors and a Super Bowl win in 2021.