Overview
- Donald completed at least one official, team‑logged workout with the Rams this week and continues to consider ending his two‑year retirement without having signed a contract.
- The Rams have sketched a staged ramp‑up that would limit Donald to roughly 30 to 40 snaps initially while the club gauges his conditioning and manages playing time.
- A key barrier to any signing is Donald’s existing 2022 contract revision that carries about $30–31 million for one season and will need to be reworked to fit the Rams’ cap and cash plans.
- Voices around the league are split about the comeback: teammates and some peers say he looked close to his old form in workouts while several Hall of Famers and analysts warn a multi‑year layoff makes a full return uncertain.
- If Donald signs and can perform near his past level, pairing him with newly acquired Myles Garrett would change how opponents game‑plan against the Rams and give Los Angeles flexibility to target a partial or late‑season return tied to schedule windows such as the mid‑November bye.