Overview
- On Friday, Sean McVay told reporters he expects every Rams player, including Aaron Donald, to fly to Melbourne for the Sept. 10/11 opener, keeping the possibility of a Week 1 appearance open.
- Donald has not played or taken part in a full 11-on-11 practice since 2023, so the Rams will assess his readiness through this week’s controlled practices and make availability decisions day to day.
- Los Angeles holds a roster exemption for Donald that lasts through the day after the opener, which lets the team keep him inactive without him counting against the 53-man roster while they evaluate him.
- The Rams plan to arrive in Melbourne about 24–48 hours before kickoff rather than acclimate for a week, a late-travel approach McVay defends but that will be watched because the 49ers arrived days earlier.
- Observers are split on Donald’s near-term impact: anonymous scouts predict a limited snap role around 35–40 percent, while former teammates offer a more optimistic view, and his pairing with Myles Garrett could boost the Rams’ pass rush if he plays.