Overview
- As of Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, Donald has not announced a return even after an official tryout the Rams logged on the league wire and praise from coach Sean McVay that he “looked outstanding.”
- The Rams have a staged plan to ease him in, with reports saying an early workload would be roughly 30–40 defensive snaps per game rather than a full-time snap count.
- Donald still has a reported one-year contract figure of about $30–31 million that both sides would need to restructure or renegotiate before a return can be finalized.
- The team is giving Donald time to decide and test his body, and NFL rules allow reinstatement from the reserve/retired list as late as the Tuesday after Week 13, leaving open a possible late-season activation.
- If he signs, pairing Donald with Myles Garrett would boost the Rams’ pass rush and change matchups, but the club says it does not need him to be a title contender and would protect younger players’ opportunities through a limited role.