For the last 10 years, Aaron Donald has been one of the most dominating defensive linemen in the history of the entire NFL.
On Friday, Donald and the Los Angeles Rams revealed that the veteran defender has decided to retire.
Speculation about Donald retiring has been going on ever since the Rams won the Super Bowl in the 2021 season, and now he appears to actually be stepping away from the NFL.
Cheers to what’s next. Extending a big thank you to the Rams and all of the fans for your support over these last 10 years. Much love. 🍾🙏🏽💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/edGxkUYdLz
— AD_99 (@AaronDonald97) March 15, 2024
Donald first entered the NFL back in 2014 when the Rams selected him with the No. 13 overall pick in that year’s NFL Draft.
Shortly after that, he made it very clear that he was going to be a problem for opposing offenses in the league for a very long time.
In his first season in the NFL, Donald racked up nine sacks and 18 tackles for a loss, which ultimately played a part in him earning a trip to the Pro Bowl and winning the league’s 2014 Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
The standout defensive lineman then continued to get better and better during each of his next handful of seasons in the NFL.
In 2017, Donald wound up winning what turned out to be his first of three Defensive Player of the Year awards, as he was also given the honor in 2018 and 2020.
Overall, he has had one of the most impressive careers of anyone to ever step foot in the NFL, regardless of position.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame might as well begin to work on his bronze bust because he’s guaranteed to be enshrined during his very first appearance on the ballot.
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