Aaron Donald and the Los Angeles Rams are currently engaged in a financial standoff. It’s not contentious or problematic right now, but there’s very clearly a disagreement about the defensive tackle’s contract.
Donald wants a new deal that will pay him more than the $14.2 million he’s set to earn in 2022, and he deserves a raise given the way he’s played since signing his extension in 2018. The Rams have engaged in talks with Donald’s representation, attempting to work toward a solution to ensure No. 99 is still in Los Angeles next season.
The Rams want Donald back, and he would like to compete for another championship, but the two sides have yet to agree on a number that works for both parties.
The problem for the Rams is that Donald holds all the cards in this situation. That became even more evident during his interview on the “I Am Athlete” podcast when he made it abundantly clear that he doesn’t need to keep playing football.
“I’m happy. I’m fine. The thing is, I don’t need to play football to be fine. I’m fine,” he said. “I was blessed to play this game, to make the money I’ve made, the accomplishments I made in eight years is, like, I’m complete. If I can win another one, that’s great. But if not, I’m at peace.”
More than anything, that quote right there should worry fans about Donald’s future with the Rams. He’s not bluffing, either. Donald has accomplished everything he set out to, from individual accolades to winning a Super Bowl. There’s really nothing left for him to do besides win another ring (or two).
When he came into the NFL, he only planned to play eight years, which he’s now done.
“But me talking about retirement, that was happening way before we won a Super Bowl,” he added. “I’ve been saying that since I got into the league: I was going to play eight years and be done. That’s just what I’ve been saying. It just came out and then everybody think that, ‘Oh, he said if he wins a Super Bowl, he’s going to retire.’ Nah, I got teammates, coaches, my family know about this. I said ‘I’m going to play eight years and I’m going to probably be done playing football.’”
Donald did acknowledge that winning a Super Bowl, “you get kind of a little addicted to it.”
“I want to feel that again,” he said.
Donald is as competitive as anyone in the NFL. He works out every day and watches film immediately after playing a game because he can’t sleep if he doesn’t. There’s no denying the fact that he wants to win another ring.
Really, it’s going to come down to money. Donald reportedly has a number he wants to play at, and if the Rams don’t match it, he’ll walk away. He seems committed to not playing on his current contract, which has three years left on it.
No one should question Donald’s desire to win. He’ll be all-in if the Rams give him the raise he’s seeking. The question is how high they’re willing to go to keep the best defender in the NFL on their roster.
Is Donald’s number $30 million per year, which would top T.J. Watt as the highest-paid defender in the NFL? He questions whether the gap between quarterbacks and top defenders should be as wide as it is, which could mean he wants to be paid closer to what Matthew Stafford, Derek Carr and Dak Prescott are getting: $40 million per year.
Regardless, he’s content with retiring and spending time with his family if the Rams don’t up their offer. That puts Los Angeles in a tough situation and could lead to a holdout that spills into mandatory minicamp and potentially training camp.
It’s a fascinating standoff that got a lot more interesting with Donald’s most recent comments.
