Aaron Donald didn't sign up for it, but the Rams need him now more than ever

Aaron Donald unretired to play alongside Myles Garrett. He came back, already a Los Angeles Rams franchise legend, to chase another ring with Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford, an encore to the trio's triumph in Super Bowl LVI.

Instead, Garrett is hurt, the team is struggling, the offense can't get going. And now, fellow defensive linemen Poona Ford and Kobie Turner have long-term injuries as well. 

Ford is done for the year with a torn triceps. Turner is out multiple weeks with a groin injury. Garrett still isn't back in practice. 

Donald didn't sign up for this, but the Rams need him more than ever. 

Depleted Rams need every ounce Aaron Donald can give them

In the four games Donald has played this season, he has logged 33, 35, 43, and 42 defensive snaps, respectively. That accounts for 58.6 percent of available reps in the games he has played. Without Ford or Turner, the Rams may need a bit more from Donald moving forward. 

The most likely starting front in Week 7 is Donald and Braden Fiske at defensive end with Tyler Davis replacing Ford up the middle. Veteran Larrell Murchison will likely be called up from the practice squad. He and Ty Hamilton can spell the starters.

The Rams should be able to fill Ford's 25 or so snaps per game between Davis and Hamilton, although that's obviously a severe downgrade. Replacing Turner will be more difficult. 

It's not just about playing time. Turner has been LA's most productive defensive lineman since Donald retired after 2023, Turner's rookie season. Fiske has underwhelmed. If Donald can handle a heavier workload, the Rams are best off handing him some extra reps.

Anything helps. It's not realistic to expect Donald to take on the 81-percent snap load he did in '23, but having him consistently on the field for 70 percent of plays would make a big difference. He nearly reached that threshold in Week 5's overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Only now, every snap will be more strenuous. Gone are any double-team distractions to keep Donald in one-on-one matchups at least some of the time. With Fiske and Davis as the other starters, offensive lines will be free to ambush him with bodies. 

Does Donald have enough left to do it all by himself?

Perhaps it's worth asking whether Donald can even continue to give the Rams what he has so far before even wondering whether he could increase his workload. 

On the flip side, Donald is always ready for a challenge. This is a one-off event; Donald is highly unlikely to return next season. He doesn't have the burden of future seasons weighing on his shoulders. 

Despite Turner's sackless start to '26, The Conductor racked up 24 in his first three seasons. With that competition out of the way, could Donald find his way to a few more satisfying opportunities? 

The path there will be a lot harder, that much is certain. Despite an unimpressive statistical profile, Donald has played quite well at age 35. Pro Football Focus's 17th-graded defensive tackle out of 129, his modest seven total pressures (57th) still outpaces his snap count (81st), relative to league average.

Whether No. 99 has more in the tank remains to be seen. At this point, the Rams will take anything and everything they can get. 

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