NFL

How is Aaron Donald’s return going so far?

September 29, 2026

Following a two-year retirement and a missed training camp, Aaron Donald has struggled significantly upon returning to the Los Angeles Rams, who have opened the season with a 1-2 record and currently feature a weak defensive tackle group. Out of 91 qualifying defensive linemen, Donald ranks 79th with a meager 4.8% pressure rate, registering just two pressures across 42 pass rush snaps alongside 22 run defense snaps and three stops.

This output marks a steep decline from his historic peak seasons in 2018 and 2020 when he won Defensive Player of the Year and posted pressure rates approaching 20%, or even his 12.9% rate from 2023. Meanwhile, former Rams teammate A'Shawn Robinson has recorded a 4.5% pressure rate with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers alongside ten stops and one sack.

Compounding the Rams' defensive woes, teammate Kobie Turner holds the second-worst pressure rate among the team's defensive tackles at 6.1% with four pressures on 66 pass rush snaps, though he has managed 13 stops on 45 run defense snaps. With no obvious in-house upgrades available on the roster to absorb Donald's snaps, the franchise faces severe limitations within its defensive interior.