Andrew Whitworth's theory is why Aaron Donald may find returning irresistible

Trading for Myles Garrett was a seismic headline in its own right, one that dominated news waves for most of June and continues to push along the current of Los Angeles Rams media coverage. The trade also created another, separate storyline, which has taken on a life all its own. That, of course, is the potential return of franchise legend Aaron Donald.

Donald has admitted that Garrett's arrival got him thinking about a comeback. And his former Rams teammate, two-time All-Pro tackle Andrew Whitworth, thinks he knows why. 

"People forget, his last couple years in the league, he's getting doubled, tripled," Whitworth said on the 49ers Talk Podcast. "You listen to Jason Kelce talk about when the Eagles would play him, like, 'Hey, no matter what, any play we had, I was going and doubling AD with the guard. … We're making sure he gets two, you know, four hands put on him.' And so that was the world he lived in, which also, I think, led to him retiring early. Because you get frustrated, like, you just don't ever get a chance to go mano a mano."

With Garrett in the fold, that would be impossible. "How do you allocate guys to help? I think that's probably what has AD and Myles both excited, if this really happened, because it's like, 'All right, one of us is getting a whole lot more one-on-ones than we've ever gotten in our career.'"

On the one hand, Whitworth's insights aren't anything new, aside from carrying a former lineman's unparalleled technical expertise. It's that nugget in the middle, theorizing on why Donald retired in the first place, that adds another intriguing layer to the conversation. 

Chance to rush the passer unencumbered may be too tempting to resist

Adding Garrett to the pass rush makes the Rams defense an appealing destination for any defensive lineman. Even retired ones, when they're future first-ballot Hall of Famers and remain, like Donald, in incredible shape. If Whitworth's theory is right, it's what could ultimately make returning irresistible.

It's one thing to want to seize the opportunity of playing alongside Garrett. But that opportunity has to be even more alluring for Donald if, as Whitworth suggests, being constantly thwarted is partly what made Donald walk away. Garrett's presence addresses that frustration directly.

Is it too speculative to say Donald may already be revving up for a return? With every shared social media post, the hype only climbs higher. Yesterday, Donald was reportedly seen working out at the Rams' facility. So…yeah. There's that. 

If Donald is serious about returning, Whitworth emphasized how important it would be to get reacquainted with the routine "wear and tear" of clashing with dump trucks on the other side of the line. He did not, however, seem to harbor much doubt that his former teammate of five years could still pick 'em up and lay 'em down, even after a nearly three-year hiatus. In his eyes, Donald and Garrett would be a two-man wrecking crew.

As irresistible as the prospect might be for AD, good luck to Rams fans staying away from the TV at the risk of missing a second of that epic collab.

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