Aaron Donald Not Present at Rams Training Camp Amid Contract Holdout

Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald remains absent as the Rams prepare to begin training camp practices Saturday as he angles for a new contract.

Jarrett Bell‏ of USA Today noted Donald missed Friday's reporting deadline for Rams veterans. Alden Gonzalez of ESPN and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network confirmed the star's failure to show up on time, leading to the apparent holdout.

On Thursday, Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times reported the defensive tackle, who only attended mandatory offseason workouts, could be fined up to $40,000 per day for missing camp. Head coach Sean McVay said the defense's reserve players must rise to the occasion if Donald remains away.

"Aaron's a great player. He's one of the best players in the league, especially at his position," he said. "But it's one of those deals with the NFL, that whether it's guys not reporting, or injuries, or for whatever matter guys have to be ready to step up. And we feel very confident in our defensive depth."

Donald is set to carry a cap hit of just over $3.2 million for the 2017 season, which ranks 34th in the NFL among defensive tackles, per Spotrac. The number will rise to $6.9 million in 2018, the final year of his contract, barring an extension.

It makes the 26-year-old Pittsburgh native one of the league's top bargains. He's established himself as a game-changing player on the interior, racking up 47 combined tackles, eight sacks, five passes defended and two forced fumbles in 2016.

He's been selected to the Pro Bowl in all three seasons since the Rams selected him with the 13th overall pick in 2014, and he's earned a pair of first-team All-Pro nods.

In June, Donald commented on the contract situation during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, via Marc Sessler of NFL.com.

"I'm just letting my agents handle that side of the thing," he said. "And all I have to do is, you know, keep working, keep myself in top shape. Like I said, my agent is going to handle that side of the thing."

Donald was ranked as the No. 15 overall player in the league on NFL Network's annual list. He also rated fourth among defensive players behind only Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller (No. 2), Oakland Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack (No. 5) and Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry (No. 13).

An extended holdout would deal a crushing blow to the Los Angeles defense. Louis Trinca-Pasat and Dominique Easley figure to do their best to fill the void until the holdout ends.