Aaron Donald has official Rams workout — why team was forced to report it

The daily NFL transactions wire rarely turns into mainstream headlines. 

But on Wednesday afternoon, one of the NFL’s most routine documents suddenly became must-read material when the Los Angeles Rams officially reported Aaron Donald’s workout at the team’s facility in Woodland Hills as a “Tryout.”

No, Donald hasn’t officially announced he’s coming out of retirement to return to the NFL.

He has not signed a contract. 

And Donald definitely doesn’t need to try out if he wants to come back. 

Nonetheless, the news is the first concrete proof that Donald is indeed trying to return to the NFL for the first time since he walked away from the sport after the 2023 season. 

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the future Hall of Famer wanted to put on a helmet again during his workout Wednesday. Donald did not wear shoulder pads, but he used the Rams’ equipment during a team-supervised workout, triggering the league’s requirement that he be listed on the daily NFL transaction report. 

After weeks of speculation, the rumors of Donald’s return are now gaining something they haven’t had yet: tangible evidence. 

Donald could still decide to nix the whole comeback and go back into retirement, but the conversations around his return are no longer abstract. He’s testing his will and passion for the game on the practice field. 

Rams coach Sean McVay confirmed the reports this week and said that no official announcement on Donald will come until the team wraps up its training camp at Loyola Marymount University tomorrow.

Donald, now 35, retired as a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, 10-time Pro Bowler, Super Bowl champion and First-Team All-Pro in his final season. The Rams reached the NFC Championship last season and open the 2026 campaign against the 49ers in Australia on Sept. 10.

Nobody outside of Donald knows whether Wednesday’s workout with a helmet moved him closer to a comeback. But after months of whispers, one thing is undeniable: He’s getting closer to an answer.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters