On Friday morning Aaron Donald announced his retirement from the NFL after ten seasons. The former ten-time pro bowler and three-time defensive player of the year won Superbowl 56 as a part of the Los Angeles Rams organization.
Aaron Donald announcing his retirement comes as a surprise due to Donald’s continued dominance in the NFL. In 2023 Donald finished the season with 53 total tackles, eight sacks, 23 QB hits, and 16 tackles for loss. It is clear that Aaron Donald is still one of the most dominant defensive linemen in the NFL.
Aaron Donald’s statements regarding his decision to retire
In a statement regarding Aaron Donald’s retirement announcement, Donald had this to say, “I would like to thank St. Louis for the love and support during my first two years in the league as a St. Louis Ram, and through my eight years as a Los Angeles Ram. I would like to thank Los Angeles for the love and support throughout my career as well. California has become home to me and my family, and you all made it extra special.”
He would then go on to say, “I would like to thank Mr. Kroenke and his family for building an organization that I was blessed to be a part of.”
Donald continued with this, “Throughout my career, I have given my everything to football both mentally and physically. 365 days a year was dedicated to becoming the best possible player I could be. I respected this game like no other and I’m blessed to be able to conclude my NFL career with the same team that drafted me. Not many people get drafted to a team, win a World Championship with that team and retire with that team. I do not, and will not, take that for granted”
Aaron Donald’s college and NFL career
Aaron Donald played in college for the Pitt Panthers from 2010 to 2013. Over his four-year college career, Donald accrued 29.5 sacks, 181 total tackles, 66 tackles for loss, and six forced fumbles. He was drafted by the then St. Louis Rams with the 13th overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft. He made his impact felt immediately with nine sacks in his rookie season. This led to him winning the 2014 Defensive Rookie of the Year.
In his ten-year career, Donald had double-digit sacks in six seasons. This included a league-leading 20.5 sacks in 2018. Donald also led the league twice in tackles for loss (2018 and 2019). In 2022 Donald became only the second defensive tackle in NFL history to officially eclipse 100 career sacks. The first to accomplish this feat was John Randle. Sacks were not an officially recorded stat until 1982. Alex Karras, Randy White, and Alan Page have all been unofficially credited with 100 sack careers at the defensive tackle position as well.
In the past few years, Donald has been hinting at his potential retirement. After the 2022 Superbowl Donald contemplated for months whether or not he would be returning for the 2023 season, he even sent a retirement letter to the team, but ultimately that letter was never submitted to the league as the Rams and Donald came to an agreement on a restructured contract that made him the highest paid defensive player in NFL history at the time.
Post-Football Life
When speaking about his post-football career, Donald had this to say, “As I turn my focus to a new chapter, I don’t know what the future holds, but I am excited about the off-the-field possibilities. I’m looking forward to spending more time with my wife, Erica, and my kids, Jaeda, AJ, Aaric, and Aali. The greatest reward was being able to play this game with them by my side, and I can’t wait to watch them live out their dreams just as they watched me live out mine”
After an illustrious career with the Rams, Donald’s next stop will be Canton, Ohio, home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. While he will have to wait until 2029 to be inducted, he will undoubtedly be receiving his gold jacket in his first appearance on the ballot.
Want to intern with a growing sports media company? Contact us now.
Join the Fantom Sports Discord and help us build the best discord in the Sports Industry!
Follow Fantom Sports on TikTok.
Learn more about Fantom Sports here