One of the biggest questions around the NFL pertaining to Aaron Donald's return to the Los Angeles Rams is about whether or not he can still be the same Aaron Donald he was during his original run, when he was the best defensive player in football.
It's still entirely possible that he's a massively impactful piece for the Rams' defense, but at the same time the odds are slim he's as good as he was then. Again, he was previously the best defensive player in football and has since spent two years away from the game.
But there is one thing that's certainly working in his favor: the position he plays.
This isn't a hard-and-fast rule by any means, but generally speaking interior defensive linemen, especially ones that already play at a high level, often age more gracefully than other players and positions.
In 2025, there were just two interior defensive lineman 35 years old or older who played an NFL game. That's relevant, of course, because that's how old Donald is now. One was 36-year-old Cameron Heyward, one of the best defensive tackles of his era, who started all 17 games for the Pittsburgh Steelers and earned his second second-team All-Pro honor, and sixth All-Pro nod overall.
#defensive #donald #same
It's still entirely possible that he's a massively impactful piece for the Rams' defense, but at the same time the odds are slim he's as good as he was then. Again, he was previously the best defensive player in football and has since spent two years away from the game.
But there is one thing that's certainly working in his favor: the position he plays.
This isn't a hard-and-fast rule by any means, but generally speaking interior defensive linemen, especially ones that already play at a high level, often age more gracefully than other players and positions.
In 2025, there were just two interior defensive lineman 35 years old or older who played an NFL game. That's relevant, of course, because that's how old Donald is now. One was 36-year-old Cameron Heyward, one of the best defensive tackles of his era, who started all 17 games for the Pittsburgh Steelers and earned his second second-team All-Pro honor, and sixth All-Pro nod overall.
#defensive #donald #same
4 days ago
