Aaron Donald Teases NFL Return If Rams Trade for Micah Parsons amid Cowboys Rumors

The potential of the Los Angeles Rams trading for Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons could be enough to get 10-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Aaron Donald out of retirement.

Donald wrote in a Wednesday comment on Instagram that if Parsons went to the Rams, he might have to "get in football shape."

"That Dline would be unreal," Donald wrote.

Parsons responded, "Man!!! Don't tell me info like that!!" before tagging his agent, David Mulugheta.

Donald remained one of the league's best defensive tackles by recording 8.0 sacks during the 2023 season, but he said he felt "burnt out" after 10 NFL seasons when announcing his retirement from playing in March 2024.

It might not be that much of a stretch for Donald to get back into playing shape should he decide to make a comeback at age 34.

Rams second-year linebacker Jared Verse, who publicly challenged Donald to a workout earlier this offseason, said in July that his session with the former Rams star was "the hardest workout I've ever done."

Parsons wrote in a Friday post on X that he had submitted a trade request to the Cowboys amid stalled contract extension negotiations with the team.

Whether or not Donald is seriously considering coming out of retirement, adding Parsons to a unit already expected to take another step forward as young stars like Verse, Braden Fiske, Kobie Turner and Byron Young gain NFL experience could give the Rams one of the best defenses in the NFL heading into 2025.

It is not yet clear if the Cowboys are seriously considering trading Parsons, however. Although Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on Tuesday that he was "absolutely not" confident Parsons would be playing in Week 1, he has previously told reporters he will not consider moving Parsons and that he believes the trade request is solely a negotiation tactic.