Donald leading in quarterback pressures shows Rams need to pay defensive star

Even though he won’t be playing in Week 17, Los Angeles Rams defensive superstar Aaron Donald leads the NFL in quarterback pressures by a long shot.

After all of the concerns surrounding Aaron Donald being in the proper shape to make an impact on defense following a holdout that lasted through all of training camp and preseason, the Los Angeles Rams saw once again in 2017 just how fortunate they are to have the former Pittsburgh standout as part of their team. Most players in Donald’s situation would have struggled to get back into the proper shape since everybody knows the importance of practicing with teammates during the offseason, but the Rams superstar showed once again this year why he’s considered one of the best in the league.

Between leading the league in quarterback hits in 2016 (31) along with recording 28 sacks over his first three seasons despite all of the extra attention from defenders, it was understandable to see the reasons behind Donald wanting a pay increase from Los Angeles when looking at the money he was scheduled to make over the next two years. And even though Donald would eventually show up to play once the preseason came to an end, this year is just another example of how it’s only a matter of time before he most likely ends up being one of the league’s highest-paid defensive players.

In fact, there were reports surfacing a few weeks ago about Donald’s agents were discussing a potential long-term deal with the organization, which is a great sign for both parties. And when seeing how Donald is crushing the rest of his competition when it comes to quarterback pressures in 2017, it only makes his case for a hefty deal even stronger.

Also, keep in mind that Donald’s lead is even more impressive over the fact that he not only will miss Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers, but Week 1 as well since the Rams decided to sit him out against the Indianapolis Colts since his holdout had just recently come to an end. In other words, all signs point to Donald finishing on top by a landslide when it comes to quarterback pressures for the 2017 season, and he will manage to do so by playing in just 14 games, which is insane to think about.

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No matter what it takes, the main focus for Los Angeles in the offseason needs to be working out a deal with Donald as soon as possible to make sure he’s happy this time around heading into training camp. Clearly, the Rams have something special going when looking at the results from this season, and the best part is, the best from Donald has yet to come.