Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images
One of the greatest ever is retiring from the NFL.
The Los Angeles Rams, along with the rest of the NFL, received some shocking news on Friday ahead of the 2024 season.
The retirement of defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
Donald announced he was stepping away from the game on social media Friday. In a post shared to X (formerly known as Twitter), Donald paid tribute to the game, his teammates, and the relationships he forged over a ten-year career.
Donald also acknowledged the fans in St. Louis who supported him through his first two years in the league, as well as the fans in Los Angeles who supported him and the Rams over the past eight years:
Cheers to what’s next. Extending a big thank you to the Rams and all of the fans for your support over these last 10 years. Much love. pic.twitter.com/edGxkUYdLz
— AD_99 (@AaronDonald97) March 15, 2024
Donald leaves the NFL while still playing at an extremely-high level. While he has not recorded double-digit sacks since the 2021 NFL season, he is coming off a year where he posted eight sacks and was a first-team All Pro selection.
Over his storied NFL career, Donald accumulated a number of honors, including a Defensive Rookie of the Year selection in 2014, three Defensive Player of the Year awards (2017, 2018, and 2020), and a Super Bowl win as well with the Rams.
Aaron Donald’s Hall-of-Fame resume:
2014: DROY, Pro Bowl
2015: 1st team All Pro, Pro Bowl
2016: 1st team All Pro, Pro Bowl
2017: Defensive Player of the Year, 1st team All Pro, Pro Bowl
2018: Defensive Player of the Year, 1st team All Pro, Pro Bowl
2019: 1st team All Pro, Pro… https://t.co/8kPiJFm8iw
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2024
He steps away while still one of the best defensive players in the league. While he did not indicate what was next for him, a likely stop in the future is Canton, Ohio.
