Aaron Donald I did everything. He has three Player of the Year awards, eight Pro Bowls, seven All-Pros, honors of all contracts, 98 business bags, and now a Super Bowl ring.
The Rams defensive lineman has joined Lawrence Taylor in talking about the greatest defensive player in history, and he will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame five years after his retirement.
Donald just turned 31, but said he can walk away after eight seasons without losing again and be satisfied.
While appearing on Brandon Marshall’s “I’m An Athlete” podcast, Donald said four times that he “in peaceWith his career.
Donald is not taking part in the team’s voluntary organization’s activities as he seeks a new contract, having touted a six-year, $125 million deal he signed in 2018.
“It’s not about the money, but it’s ultimately a business,” Donald said. “That’s what you have to see for me, about winning. I don’t want to play football if I can’t win anyway, so I feel like if I had a real chance to win another Super Bowl, it would make sense to play. But then again, It’s still business. We have to deal with the business side of things, and if that’s not dealt with, you know, that’s the kind of situation. I’ll be fine regardless.
“But I’m talking about retirement, that was before we won the Super Bowl. I was saying that since I got into the league I’ve been going to play eight years and finish. That’s just what I was saying. He just came out and then everyone thought, ‘Oh, he said that if He wins the Super Bowl and he’s going to retire.” Nah, I have teammates, coaches, and my family that know about it. I said I’d play eight years, and maybe finish playing football. But winning the Super Bowl kind of makes you addicted to it. I’m not going to lie. I want to I feel like it again. That experience is like no other. If I’m going to play it’s just to win another Super Bowl, but at the end of the day, it’s still business and it should make sense to me and my family.”
Donald is scheduled to make $14.25 million in 2022 and is Ranked 102 In the NFL, per spotrac.com. He ranked 27th making $22.5 million in earnings.
Donald admits that the two sides “probably (will) come to a solution,” but said he wouldn’t be upset if they didn’t.
“I don’t need to play football to be okay,” Donald said. “I’ve been lucky to play this game, to earn the money I’ve made, the accomplishments I’ve had in eight years, like, I’ve completed. If I can win another one, that’s great. But if not, I’m at peace.”
Donald told NBC Sports studio analyst Rodney Harrison before Super Bowl LVI that he would consider retiring if the Rams won. It’s as if Donald will consider retiring if he doesn’t get a new deal, and the Rams are sure to do what they have to do to convince him to keep playing.
Money, after all, speaks volumes.