Aaron Donald and retirement rumors have gone around the internet for the past week.
However, the Los Angeles Rams put an end to those rumors yesterday.
The team and the superstar defensive lineman agreed on a contract restructure that gets him paid.
With the reworked contract, Donald gets a $40 million pay raise over the next couple of years.
The Rams have restructured Aaron Donald’s contract to give him a $40M raise through 2024. He will make $95M in through 2024, per @RapSheet 🤯
Donald is now the highest paid non-QB in NFL history 💰💰 pic.twitter.com/89LqF82Sh2
— PFF (@PFF) June 6, 2022
It now makes him the highest-paid defensive player and puts his contract on par with players like Kirk Cousins.
With the ink drying from the reworked deal, it makes some wonder why Donald would retire when still in his prime.
The answer to this comes from the one person who knows Donald the best.
A Donald Interview Sparked Rumors About Him Potentially Retiring
The 2021-22 NFL season was Donald’s eighth year in the league.
With him appearing in his second Super Bowl, and winning his first, the story of his career seemed to be complete.
It was also perfect timing for him, as he now completed everything he ever wanted to do as an NFL player.
In an interview, he talked about being at peace, which people took as his way of saying he would retire.
#Rams All Pro DL @AaronDonald97 is at peace with retiring if a new contract doesn’t get worked out.
From the @IAMATHLETEpod:
Brandon Marshall: “If the business doesn’t make sense to you, you’re willing to… (retire)?Aaron Donald: “I’m at peace…I’m at peace (retiring).” pic.twitter.com/X3T91JlKGS
— 49ers & NFL News 24/7 (@49ersSportsTalk) May 30, 2022
That comment fueled NFL fans with rumors that maybe Donald was finished with his NFL career.
However, he’s here to stay, much to the dismay of NFC West opponents.
So those rumors are now dead with the new payday he’s getting from the Rams.
But there’s something else that is keeping him in Los Angeles besides that money.
Donald Has The Super Bowl Fever And The Rams Can Get Him There Again
Something else he mentioned in his interview was how he now has the Super Bowl fever.
He wants to go back there again this season, and the Rams are the best team to get him there.
They have weapons on both offense and defense to keep repeating as Super Bowl contenders.
However, that window might close when the salary cap catches up with the team.
But if the players prefer winning Super Bowls over mega contracts, they could continue to dominate the NFL for years.
With that in mind, the feared defensive lineman stayed with the Rams and did not retire.
There was no doubt in anyone’s mind in Los Angeles of the return of their best defensive player.
However, that one interview gave people the chance to spin his words and make an enormous deal over this.
His Return Means Quarterbacks Aren’t Safe This Season
The NFC West teams were praying for the retirement of one of the best defensive linemen of today.
However, he would disappoint them by accepting a reworked deal from Los Angeles.
Now quarterbacks like Drew Lock, Trey Lance, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Kyler Murray will be hunted down by the sack machine.
Teams that will face the Rams this season aren’t safe either, as they have to game plan for Donald.
While he is getting paid, teams are already planning on dealing with him when they face him.
However, they wish they didn’t have to contend with him in 2022.
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