Is the Nightmare Back? Aaron Donald Puts Rams Through Another 'Tryout'

LOS ANGELES — Aaron Donald isn't done making offensive linemen lose sleep. Not yet, anyway.

The retired Rams icon worked out for Los Angeles again on Saturday at the team's Woodland Hills facility — his second unofficial "tryout" during training camp, per the NFL's transaction report. The move keeps the door wide open on the biggest will-he-or-won't-he story of the summer.

McVay: Donald's call, Donald's clock

Rams head coach Sean McVay isn't putting any pressure on the three-time Defensive Player of the Year. After Saturday's preseason opener in Kansas City, McVay made it clear the ball is in Donald's hands.

"What I don't want to do is put a timeline on it, then something comes up where I have to push it back," McVay said. "If he puts himself in a position where he says yes or no, I think he has earned the right to have clarity on that. We are not at that point quite yet."

McVay remains optimistic but patient: "I am hopeful that it will be sooner rather than later, but I also want to respect when he does feel that clarity will come. I don't want to put some sort of invisible deadline on something that doesn't exist in my mind for him."

Wait, this is actually happening?

Donald first popped up on the transaction report in early August after working out on a players' day off at Loyola Marymount University — a session alongside defensive line coach Giff Smith and key performance staff. McVay predicted that one, saying the former All-Pro "looked outstanding."

The 10-year Rams lifer, who hung up his cleats in March 2024, reportedly started entertaining the comeback idea after Los Angeles swung the blockbuster trade for reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett back in early June.

So what's the hold up? Nothing, apparently. Donald is doing this his way. And if Saturday's workout tells us anything, the competitive fire hasn't gone anywhere.

The league's offensive coordinators should be on high alert. A motivated Aaron Donald is a problem. A motivated Aaron Donald on a defense that already has Myles Garrett? That's a full-blown nightmare.