Rams' Aaron Donald makes impact in his first game in almost three years

Donald's presence made the Rams a more formidable defense on Monday night

Sep 22, 2026 at 9:50 am ET • 2 min read

The gold standard for an athlete's first game following an extended retirement is Mario Lemieux's one-goal, two-assist performance 3.5 years after he last played professional hockey. Michael Jordan authored another notable comeback debut when he scored 19 points following his first retirement. 

Aaron Donald's performance on Monday night falls somewhere between Lemieux and Jordan. It wasn't as memorable as Lemieux's but was better than Jordan's as Donald contributed to a Rams win (Jordan's Bulls fell to the Pacers). 

Aaron Donald's return grade: A- 

Donald, playing in his first game in almost three years, showed flashes of the form that made him a three-time Defensive Player of the Year. 

Donald played 32 snaps: 18 pass-rush snaps and 14 run snaps. He had a 0.75-second get-off on his pass-rush snaps, the third-fastest game this season for a defensive tackle (via ESPN). Donald was credited with one pressure, which is significant as he has never gone a game without having at least one. 

On his run snaps, Donald had three tackles that included a tackle for loss. He was able to get those tackles despite being double-teamed on several instances.

Donald's biggest play occurred late in the first half, when he knifed through the line and brought Najee Harris down for a 3-yard loss on third-and-2 from the Rams' 3-yard line. 

Donald's impact on the game goes beyond stats, although he was impressive from that standpoint as well. 

As expected, the Rams used the 35-year-old Donald in stints, a byproduct of his layoff. Donald was used less, but -- based on the metrics -- he was able to give the Rams quality snaps whenever he was on the field. He was able to fire off the ball with his trademark quickness. 

Donald, like all the great athletes do, made life easier for his teammates. He took on and attracted extra attention from the Giants, which led to more opportunities for his teammates to make plays. 

More so, Donald's sheer presence created issues for the Giants, who had to account for him every time he stepped onto the field. Donald compounded that issue by lining up on opposite side of the line of scrimmage. 

While it is reasonable to expect that Donald's usage and production will increase as the season progresses, his output and impact during Monday night's game is why the Rams wanted him to come out of retirement. Sure, Sean McVay would obviously love if Donald had a vintage two- or three-sack performance at some point. But if nothing else, Donald can routinely do what he did on Monday night, which is making an impact in multiple ways while creating more issues for the opposing offense. 

"Today, the defense played how we were supposed to play," Donald said afterward. "Always got room for improvement, right? So it was a good start, good win. Enjoyed the day, and we're going back to work tomorrow." 

Donald received a high grade for his first game back after a three-year hiatus. A sack/a few more splash plays would have given him an "A," but his stuff of Harris near the goal line -- in addition to his overall impact on the Rams' defense -- sealed his "A-" grade.