Very few people expected the Los Angeles Rams to make the playoffs last season. After purging their roster of stars such as Jalen Ramsey, Bobby Wagner and Leonard Floyd, it looked like they were going to take the year to rebuild and come back as contenders in 2024.
Even Aaron Donald had his doubts about what was in store for the Rams last season. He never threw in the towel and gave up hope, but he admitted on “The Pivot Podcast” that he thought it was going to be a long year when he saw what the team was working with ahead of training camp.
He even says he was “a little disappointed” when the Rams didn’t bring in any veteran help up front, opting to construct a roster full of young players – including their 14 rookie draft picks.
“I ain’t going to lie. Going into it, getting ready for camp, I was a little disappointed because I knew it was going to be my last year, Year 10. I already knew this was going to be my last year, and I came back trying to win another Super Bowl,” Donald said. “I’m like, ‘Ain’t bring in no veteran help?’ I’m like, got a bunch of young guys. So you don’t know what to expect. You don’t know how these young guys are going to come in or how they’re going to play. But I’m like, as long as they bring in guys that have the mindset to work. So I don’t want no guys that’s like half-assing. Just follow my lead, follow the lead of the veterans – because we had Cooper Kupp. You know he’s working. Matthew Stafford, he’s working. I know I’m working. So as long as you follow the key guys and see how they work, everything’s going to play out how it’s supposed to play out. I didn’t know what to expect. I was a little like, I don’t know if I can do this. This is going to be a long season because I already know it’s going to be triple-teams and I ain’t going to get no help.”
Like so many others, Donald was wrong about the Rams. They exceeded all expectations by going 10-7 and making the playoffs, a remarkable turnaround after going 5-12 the year prior.
Not only did Los Angeles have success on the field, but Donald had a ton of fun playing with his young teammates and watching them grow into studs – guys like Kobie Turner and Byron Young.
“Honestly, it ended up being a super fun year for me,” he said. “I enjoyed every moment of it. I just took it all in because going into my Year 10, I knew it was going to be my last year so my mindset that year was just take it all in, like I’m just a kid playing little league football again. Every experience, enjoy it. Enjoy the young guys. I had so much fun with those guys, and to see them grow from camp to being a team that made it to the playoffs, having a cold start and then getting back hot. It was so fun to watch those guys grow and have success and be part of the team. I had more fun than I thought I was going to have and I felt like they sent me out the right way, so I appreciate that. It was frustrating at first but it ended up turning into one of those fun years and exciting years.”
Donald may not have won a ring in his final year but it sure sounds like he enjoyed his final games in the NFL before retiring in March.