Rams' Updated DL Depth Chart, NFL Salary Cap After Aaron Donald Agrees to New Contract

Aaron Donald is returning to the Los Angeles Rams.

In a long-anticipated move, the legendary defensive tackle signed a one-year, $20 million deal that features playoff incentives up to $30 million.

Before the deal, the Rams had $16.7 million remaining in cap space, per Spotrac.

The return comes three years after what was believed to be Donald's final season in 2023. While past his prime, he was still productive when he last took the field, recording 53 tackles and eight sacks.

He is bound to have declined some since then, but Donald can surely still make an impact on a Rams team looking to compete for a championship.

Early in training camp, when rumors began to swirl that Donald could make a return, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Donald likely wouldn't start for the Rams and would instead be "more of a spot guy."

That could be perfect for a 35-year-old who hasn't played in three years, and the Rams' dominant front seven means that they aren't pressed to add another high-impact starter.

Los Angeles made arguably the biggest move of the offseason when it traded for Myles Garrett, who set an NFL record with 23 sacks last year and is perhaps the most impactful player on the defensive side in the NFL.

According to ESPN's Sarah Barshop, once Los Angeles traded for Garrett, Donald began putting himself through a "very strict, regimented process that was similar to what he did when he played" in hopes of making a return.

Garrett added to what was already a strong group of Braden Fiske, Poona Ford, Kobie Turner and Byron Young. With Donald now in the mix, opposing teams aren't going to know what to do with the Rams' defensive line.

The Rams had one of, if not the best, offenses in the NFL last season, but a subpar defense prevented them from reaching the Super Bowl. They aggressively improved the defense this year, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see them hoist the Lombardi Trophy in February.