Donald Makes Triumphant Return

Inglewood, CA (News4usonline) – Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford played like the MVP. Wide receiver Davante Adams resembled the future Hall of Famer that he is with a spectacular performance. 

Tight end Terrance Ferguson had a breakout game with his six catches for 54 yards and a touchdown grab. Still, it was Aaron Donald’s night. 

“It felt good to be back out there, man, get that first game under my belt,” said Donald. “You know, felt like as it started going on, it kind of slowed down, at you know, towards the third and fourth quarters, but got it under my belt. Officially, back playing football, you know. Came away with a win. So, I’m excited about that.”  

After a two-year hiatus from the NFL, Donald made his first start since he played during the 2023 season. It’s been a while since we have seen No. 99 on the football field wrecking offensive backfields and chasing down quarterbacks.  

Donald unretired and has returned to doing what he did during the first 10 years of his NFL career, and that is to cause havoc. He did a little bit of that against the Giants on Monday Night Football as his high-octane energy seemed to rub off on his teammates.  

“It was great because guys were flying around, man,” Donald remarked. “I think the defense played great; stuffed the run. Guys were getting after the quarterback. BY [Byron Young] made some big plays. Kobie [Turner], [Braden] Fiske…them guys were just flying around. So, I think today the defense played…we played how we’re supposed to play.”  

Although he didn’t register a sack in the Rams’ 28-6 win, Donald’s presence on the field was felt throughout SoFi Stadium.   

“I was so juiced,” Stafford said after the game. “He came running out of the tunnel and I couldn’t control myself. I was freaking fired up. I’m sure y’all were in there. The fans were happy to see him back and we all were too. Just the human being, the player, all of it combined. What he brings to our team and to our locker room is unmatched. And really to the city, which I thought was amazing. I thought it was a great reception for him tonight, well-deserved.”  

For the past two seasons, the Rams were devoid of having the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year making plays and disrupting offenses. That’s because Donald had called it quits after 10 seasons and went into retirement. 

The football bug, however, somehow bit Donald. He decided to unretire and make a return back to the Rams and the NFL. 

That became welcomed news for the Rams. That was bad news for everybody else. The return of Donald has turned the Rams into bonafide Super Bowl contenders. Rams head coach Sean McVay liked the “overall energy” Donald brought against the Giants.

“One of the things is he elicits attention,” McVay said during his postgame press conference. “He brings everybody up around him and I didn’t think it was by coincidence that was the energy that we played with… I thought the defensive coaches did a great job of their game plan, but ultimately just elevating situations he’s in and people that he’s around. That’s what the greats do and that’s what he does.”  

With Donald back at the center of attention, the rest of the Rams took care of everything else. The Rams kept New York out of the endzone, holding the Giants to two field goals. 

The Rams held the Giants to 11 total first downs and just 182 yards in total offense in recording their first win of the season. Rams linebacker Nate Landman, who led the team in tackles called the win “great.” 

“It’s week-to-week in this league,” said Landman. “We’ll celebrate it tonight and move on…a good stepping stone to build off of, confidence booster, and an identity-setter for us.” 

It was not a good night all around for the Giants offense. New York lost its starting quarterback for the game after its first series. Dart was later ruled out with a knee injury. 

That left the Giants to rely on veteran quarterback Jameis Winston to try to get their offense going. That didn’t happen. 

Winston was forced into having a bad day at the office, completing just 11 of 27 passes for 111 yards with a rating of 37.7. Not exactly numbers to write home about. Winston put the onus on the Rams getting a lead on the passing game’s poor showing. 

“They got a hit so they knew a pass was coming,” said Winston. “When you know a pass is coming, it’s very challenging to throw the ball when you know that a pass is coming.” 

Inglewood, CA – Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald (99) makes his 2026 season debut against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 21, 2026. Photo credit: Mark Hammond/News4usonline