Aaron Donald addresses speculation that he would come out of retirement to join the Steelers
Last week, one of the best players to ever play in the NFL retired via Aaron Donald. A Penn Hills legend and Pitt icon, Donald will likely go down as the most decorated athlete to ever hail from Pittsburgh. And while one run in the black and gold would cement his iconic legacy forever in […]
Last week, one of the best players to ever play in the NFL retired via Aaron Donald.
A Penn Hills legend and Pitt icon, Donald will likely go down as the most decorated athlete to ever hail from Pittsburgh.
And while one run in the black and gold would cement his iconic legacy forever in the Steel City, Donald is satisfied with his career:
'I'm Complete'
“I’m complete, I’m full. I think the passion to play the game is no longer there for me,” Donald said in his retirement video. “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, retire from football and jump into the next step in my career, my life, and now it’s time to move on.”
In his 10-year career, Donald recorded 543 tackles, 111 sacks, and 24 forced fumbles, all from an interior alignment. That left him recognized as a Pro Bowler in all 10 seasons, an 8X first-team All-Pro, 3x defensive player of the year, and a member of the Hall of Fame's All 2010's team.
Going to two Super Bowls and playing a critical role in the Rams' Super Bowl win over Cincinnati a few years ago, Donald will walk into the Hall of Fame in five years as one of the easiest first-ballot decisions ever.
But at only 32 years old and coming off another first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl season, there's no doubt Donald can still play, with Pittsburgh making a lot of sense.
But Donald isn't going for it:
“I love the Rams. I don’t want to retire anywhere else but the Rams," said Donald. "I told Sean [McVay] when he first got there, as long as you’re the head coach, I wanna continue to be here. I wouldn’t want to be playing for any other coach than that guy,”
So never say never, but it certainly seems like Donald is content with his career, as he should be.
