A look at how Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald did in his return to the field in 2026.
All eyes have been on Aaron Donald since he announced his return to the Los Angeles Rams. Despite keeping in shape, Donald needed a bit more time to ramp back up to football activities.
Donald spent multiple weeks training his body to step on the field after a two-year layoff, and he was ruled out for Week 1 due to needing more time. With his return now having happened, here is how he fared in his 2026 return.
Similar to how offenses treated Donald in 2023 and before that, the Rams' defensive end constantly drew double teams, making it that much harder to pick up a sack. Though he got close a couple of times, he simply could not get there due to being hounded by offensive linemen.
Donald finished his night with three total tackles and one tackle for loss. The tackle for loss was a blown-up run play from the New York Giants, as the Los Angeles defender got into the backfield without much effort.
It makes sense that the Giants' offense was not taking any chances on allowing Donald to cause more chaos than he was able to, as he is still one of the most dangerous players in the NFL. Even despite a two-year layoff, he still proved to be a lot to deal with.
Donald has a knack for bending his body and using his immense strength to move linemen, even when he is getting double-teamed.
This was just the first game of his return for the 2026 season, and the Rams also needed to shake off their downfalls from Week 1.
Los Angeles traveled to Australia to take on the San Francisco 49ers, and the 49ers simply were too much for the Rams.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford was off, and the defense was not much help in containing Brock Purdy. The game also led to fellow defensive end Myles Garrett coming to the realization that his nagging knee injury needed surgery.
Had Donald been on the field, he might not have even been that effective against the 49ers' offense.
Now, he showed that he still has what it takes to be effective, as he stood strong against the Giants' offensive line.
With the Rams picking up a bounce-back win, they can set their eyes on their Week 3 opponent: the Denver Broncos.
Donald will get another chance to get loose and get after Bo Nix, and this time he may just pick up the first sack of his return.
