Just as every team is scrambling to fill team needs ahead of the 2024 NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams were handed a bombshell that had long been hinted at with the retirement of Aaron Donald. The eventual first-ballot Hall of Famer had nothing left to prove or to play for. He already earned the title of the NFL’s best defensive player, several times over, and he has three DPOY awards to prove it.
Sure, he could have played a few more seasons in pursuit of becoming the Rams’ franchise leader in sacks. Yet Donald still sits 48.5 sacks behind Deacon Jones, so there’s no guarantee the 32-year-old would have ever caught up to the gold-jacket pass-rusher.
Instead, Donald retires in third place with 111 sacks, 40.5 sacks behind the great Jack Youngblood. But we can’t act like the eight-time All-Pro owed the Rams anything further. He already helped deliver the second Super Bowl victory in franchise history, and now he’s ready to start living life on his own terms.
But before he could ride off into the sunset for good, the Rams made sure to take care of their franchise icon in the form of a massive retirement package.
According to Spotrac, the Rams are actually paying Donald a $13.8 million retirement bonus on his way out the door. The move transpired early this morning when the front office processed a salary conversion that likely leaves behind dead cap charges of $17 million in 2024 and $25.2 in 2025.
It’s a rare move to see a team pay a player despite his decision to leave. But this just shows how respected Donald was during his ten-year tenure with the Rams, and he’s earned every penny.