If Aaron Donald comes out of retirement to suit up for the Rams, then Los Angeles officially wins the Myles Garrett trade.
Really, if the trade results in a Super Bowl championship for Los Angeles, the trade is a win. But Donald and Garrett on the same defensive line with that offense would be lethal.
According to ESPN’s Pat McAfee and NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Donald is contemplating coming out of retirement if he could find the fire to lace up the cleats one more time. Garrett’s arrival in Los Angeles has piqued Donald’s interest following the legendary defensive tackle’s retirement in 2024.
Garrett, Donald and newly-acquired superstar cornerback Trent McDuffie would make life a living hell for NFC West quarterbacks including turnover-prone Super Bowl champion Sam Darnold, Jacoby Brissett and Brock Purdy. The Rams are already a big Super Bowl favorite, if they added Donald, even at 35, those odds would move even further.
The Rams sent the Cleveland Browns defensive end Jared Verse, a 2027 first round pick, 2028 second round pick and 2029 third round pick. After Rams general manager Les Snead drafted Ty Simpson No. 13 overall, Los Angeles felt comfortable going all in for Garrett.
A Super Bowl is the expectation. Anything less would be a disappointment.
Offensively, the Rams should be loaded. They’re returning Matthew Stafford for his age 38 season. The reigning MVP is defying time, battling through back injuries to lead the Rams through another Super Bowl title window. Puka Nacua, Davante Adams and Kyren Williams are all star players in their respective ways, giving Stafford plenty of options to put up points.
Why Garrett could be even more dangerous on the Rams
That’s what could make this Garrett thing even more lethal, with or without Donald in Los Angeles.
Last season, Garrett broke the NFL’s single-season sack record with 23. The Browns won only five games. Many of Cleveland’s 12 losses were blowout defeats. Yet still, Garrett was finding ways to get sacks when the other team was running the ball with a massive lead.
In Los Angeles, Garrett will be exposed to something relatively unfamiliar – playing with the lead. This is going to allow him to pin his ears back and get after the quarterback at a rate unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. If Donald returns, opposing offensive lines won’t sleep the entire week leading up to the Rams on the schedule.
Even after breaking the single-season sack record and winning back-to-back NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, Garrett still feels underrated. But he’s such a generational talent that his arrival in Los Angeles is causing another all-time great in Donald to contemplate giving it one last go.
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