Aaron Donald has officially come out of retirement and will return for the Los Angeles Rams this season. The 35-year-old is coming back after two and a half years away from the game to form a defensive pairing with Myles Garrett that will alarm every offensive line in the NFL.

The Rams confirmed Donald's decision on Sunday at the end of weeks of talks and almost two months of workouts at the club's facility, where Donald tested whether his body could stand another season. He has signed a one-year contract, with ESPN reporting the deal is worth at least $20m and built heavily on incentives.

Donald walked away without warning in March 2024 after 10 seasons spent entirely with the franchise in St Louis and Los Angeles, a career that brought three Defensive Player of the Year awards, 10 Pro Bowl selections, eight All-Pro honours and a Super Bowl ring, and established him as one of the defining defensive players of his generation. It was the Rams' trade for Garrett this summer that set the comeback in motion.