After 10 NFL seasons playing for the Rams, complete with a Super Bowl title and three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, among many others, Aaron Donald had enough.
Donald, one of the best defensive players in NFL history, announced his retirement on March 15 and explained Wednesday why he chose to walk away at age 32.
In a clip shared on his X account teasing a longer interview, Donald explained that the “passion” to continue was gone. The idea of preparing himself and his body to grind through another 17-game regular season was something that no longer got his competitive juices flowing.
“I’m complete, I’m full. I think the passion to play the game is no longer there for me,” Donald said. “I will always love football, but to think about going through another camp and another 17 [game] season, I just don’t got the urge to want to push myself to do that no more.
“I’m just, I’m burnt out, if anything, the best way to say it is that I’m full, I’m complete. I’m satisfied with what I was able to do in 10 years, and I think it’s time for me to, at 32 years old, to retire from football and jump into the next step in my career, in my life, and now it’s time to move on.”
Donald spent his entire 10-season NFL career with the Rams franchise. He was a first-team All-Pro seven straight seasons and went to 10 Pro Bowls. He’s a future Hall of Famer and his absence from the Rams’ defensive line will make opposing quarterbacks rejoice in the future.
