Bad optics can pose long-term impact for LA Rams Aaron Donald

Bad optics

The LA Rams defense is entirely dependant upon the elite play of Aaron Donald on the defensive line. There is no way to spin this in any other way. Injury, or disciplinary action, that could bench Aaron Donald places a serious complication into the Rams plans to return to the NFL playoffs this year. That was apparent when the Rams defense struggled with an injury Donald to stop the Green Bay Packers’ offense in the NFC Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs last year.

But we are far from disciplinary action. All we know right now is that a man named DeVincent Spriggs in Pittsburgh alleges an assault by Rams Aaron Donald between 3-4 AM on April 11, 2021, at 1713 E Carson St, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 in an upstairs after-hours club known by locals as the Boom Boom Room.

The real lasting problem now, guilty or innocent, is the bad optics that an accusation can cause to an NFL player who, to this point in time, has been squeaky clean and above reproach. Let’s face it, the face of the NFL defensive standout is Aaron Donald, and has been for some time. He works out religiously, is fiercely competitive, and has been honored with virtually every NFL award and accolade available.

While the facts have yet to be discovered, there are certainly plenty of questions that have already formed about the event in minds across the nation. Why be out at 3:00-4:00 am in the morning?  Why would an NFL player be in the vicinity of an incident like this?  Why did the outcome of this incident result in violence?  Answers to these questions are unknown, as the investigation is only now underway.