Aaron Donald’s Rams Return Countdown | NFL News

0:00On September 7th, alright, let's talk about Aaron Donald and the Rams. It's a bit of a unique situation heading into their week one game against the 49ers. The team isn't treating this like a typical injury situation. They signed him for the long haul, not just for the opener. The goal is to have him ready for those crucial December, January, and even February games. He's been ramping up his training and the hope is he'll be on the field for the first game, but we'll have to wait and see how the week plays out. The Rams defensive coordinator, Chris Shula, was pretty tight-lived about whether Donald had participated in 11 on 11 drills, which Donald himself called the final step in his return. Meanwhile, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan seems pretty confident Donald will be back for the season opener. He mentioned making peace with Donald coming out of retirement when the news first broke. San Francisco's star running back, Christian McCaffrey, knows all about Donald's impact. He described him as a force, and a player you absolutely have to account for when scouting.

1:03McCaffrey emphasized that while Donald is a focal point, the entire Rams defense plays well together when they commit. Now durability hasn't usually been an issue for Donald, except for the 2022 season when he played in 11 games. However, he's 35 years old and hasn't played in two years. Plus, the 49ers have given the Rams trouble in recent years, even with Donald out. So, while the anticipation is high for Donald's return, there are still some moving parts. The Rams are playing it close to the vest, and we'll be watching to see if their defensive cornerstone is ready to go against the tough divisional opponent. Football news, powered by AI. This is NFL News Today.