The speculation surrounding a potential Aaron Donald return has dominated the NFL all offseason after the Los Angeles Rams traded for Myles Garrett. Rumors only intensified after reports surfaced of the future Hall of Famer conducting a workout at the Rams’ facility.
But if you are holding your breath for No. 99 to put the pads back on, former Rams edge rusher Jared Verse has some advice: don’t believe it until you hear it directly from the man himself.
Verse, who was traded to the Cleveland Browns in the trade for Garrett, said on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football that he thinks Donald still has enough in the tank to come back to Los Angeles, but that he will wait until Donald announces his return before he assumes the legend is returning to the NFL.
“Man, when a lot of people retire, they done for good,” Verse said. “But, if anybody could unretire and come back and play, it—it’d be AD. But, I genuinely, me personally, I don’t believe he’s unretiring until he says, ‘I’m done—I’m coming back.’ You know, when he says he’s doing something, when he says, ‘I’m retired,’ he’s retired. If he says he’s coming back, he’s coming back. Until I hear from the horse’s mouth, I ain’t hearing nothing else.”
If anyone knows what kind of physical shape Donald is in, it’s Verse. After earning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2024, Verse made the bold decision to poke the bear, challenging Donald to a workout last June.
The result was a legendary story that nearly required law enforcement.
After completing a grueling cardio and core warm-up, Donald asked Verse if he was ready for the “real workout.” What followed was a brutal arm-and-weight circuit that left the young pass rusher completely spent. The training session was so relentless that Verse famously begged Donald’s wife, Erica, to “call the police” to save him. When Verse tried to fabricate an excuse about needing to go home to let his mom in, Donald simply offered to have his assistant take Verse’s keys and do it for him so they could finish the lift.
Though Verse joked after the “psychotic” workout that security needs to keep Donald off the property, the experience established a profound mentorship between the two. The veteran’s legendary work ethic left a lasting imprint on the young defender, too, as he navigates his early career.
But as for a formal return to the gridiron? Verse is keeping his expectations grounded. Unless Donald makes the announcement himself, the legendary defender’s status remains happily retired.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Jared Verse doesn’t buy Aaron Donald return rumors yet
Reporting by Oliver G., Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Oliver G., Rams Wire | USA TODAY Network
