Rams won't let financial hang-up derail potential Aaron Donald reunion

Aaron Donald's return to the Los Angeles Rams would bring a lot of excitement and, of course, financial complexities. 

Per OvertheCap, the front office has about $18.85 million of space to work with, and rookie quarterback Ty Simpson still hasn't signed a contract. It is generally believed that Donald would want sufficient monetary compensation to make unretiring worth his while. Donald walked away in 2023 with one year remaining on a three-year $95 million deal.

Future Hall of Famer or not, that would seem an exorbitant sum to pay him at age 35, two-and-a-half years removed from playing his last snap. Still, Donald should command a sizable salary. That could require restructuring existing contracts or otherwise finagling the payroll.

Don't believe for a second that the Rams will let that stand in their way.

Rams and Donald would iron out any potential hurdles

NFL insider Adam Schefter suggested as much in discussing a possible reunion:

"I remember speaking to the Rams. Like, this is very difficult financially," Schefter said. "Then I spoke to other teams and they're like, 'You can do anything you want. You just get things done.'"

If Donald expresses formal interest in a return, the Rams will explore all available avenues to make the salary-cap shoe fit. At the same time, it would require some concessions from Donald, too. The Rams can't reasonably afford to pay him $30+ million, and frankly, that would be a bold ask even from the Great One himself, given the circumstances. 

It seems unlikely that Donald, who has always prioritized winning above all else, would push the Rams beyond practical limits. The whole point of returning would be to chase a second Super Bowl alongside Myles Garrett. He's not going to jeopardize that by creating an untenable salary cap situation. Any extra space could be used on trade-deadline upgrades or depth additions, something Donald would surely keep in mind.

Of course, his status as a franchise legend - the Rams' single-season sacks record-holder and the author of Super Bowl LVI's clinching scene - would boost his value and negotiating leverage, if he chose to use it. He is worth more in Los Angeles than anywhere else. The Rams want to pay him. 

The question is how much. In 2026, the Titans' Jeffery Simmons and the Chiefs' Chris Jones are the only interior defenders making $30 million or more. Four players, headlined by Bengals DT Dexter Lawrence, are making at least $25 million. 

While Donald could very well return as at worst a top-five interior lineman in the league, the Rams would not ask him to carry a full workload. Instead, Donald would be reserved for specific scenarios to harness his ferocity in the pass rush. 

That's a weapon 32 of 32 teams would scramble to get their hands on, but Donald would likely be willing to take a good chunk less than his previous salary if for no other reason than that he presumably recognizes a limited snap count affects his absolute value (which, make no mistake about it, would still be quite high). 

No matter what, you can count on general manager Les Snead figuring out a way to make the puzzle pieces all fit if the opportunity to reunite with Donald arises. That's the definition of a good problem to have.

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