Statues at stadiums are reserved for legends. Michael Jordan at the United Center. Ted Williams at Fenway. Magic Johnson at Crypto.com Arena/the Staples Center.
There is always more room for statues, though, especially since Tom Brady will be immortalized with his own statue at Gillette Stadium this summer.
NFL.com’s Adam Rank looked at what other NFL stars should get statues in their honor. Unsurprisingly, he picked Aaron Donald as one of the most deserving to earn his own outside of SoFi Stadium.
“The three-time Defensive Player of the Year was one of the biggest reasons why the Rams won a Super Bowl after they returned home to Los Angeles,” Rank wrote. “Aaron was one of the best players at his position — perhaps of all time — throughout his 10-year career, rampaging his way to 111 sacks, 9.5 more than anyone else in the NFL between 2014 and 2023. One question this brings up for me, though: Where does Donald fit in the line of other Rams who also deserve a statue? Like NFL and Rams icon Deacon Jones? And what about Kenny Washington and Woody Strode, members of the ‘Forgotten Four’ who broke the NFL’s color barrier in 1946? I’ve written about Washington and would love for him to receive the recognition he deserves. There are several great options here, so this is kind of a tough call.”
Donald certainly isn’t the only Rams player deserving of a statue, but his recent stardom is a good starting point if statues get added to the exterior of SoFi. Donald is one of, if not the best, draft pick from current Rams general manager Les Snead and is all but assured a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible in 2029.
The Rams already plan to celebrate Donald’s legacy in Week 12, so maybe a statue isn’t far away after all.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: NFL analyst thinks Aaron Donald deserves a statue at SoFi Stadium
Reporting by Tyler Greenawalt, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
