Los Angeles Rams star defensive lineman Aaron Donald is digging his heels in for a contract extension. But that doesn't mean he's enjoying this holdout.
"Oh yeah, it's killing him right now," Rams teammate Michael Brockers said Sunday, via the Los Angeles Daily News. "I know it is. He cannot wait until this contract thing is over. ... You text him just to check in, and he lets us know that he's still working and stuff like that. We know he's not letting off in any way. We know he's going to come back in shape and be the same Aaron he was before."
The comments shed light on the human element of a contract dispute. Donald is trying to do something that will break down barriers for all high-performing rookies who are locked in their collective bargaining agreement boiler plate deals (think Odell Beckham in New York). He's ensuring that he will make the life-changing money synonymous with being the best interior pass rusher in football and he's holding the Rams accountable.
The cost? A loneliness and frustration that is rarely reported. During the prime of his career, Darrelle Revis and his representatives managed to turn the holdout into a kind of art form bolstered by the honesty of then-coach Rex Ryan. The problem is that not all contract disputes are television-ready dramas. Sometimes it's about a player having to be patient while all of his friends and teammates who depend on him get back to work.
The payday is enjoyable, but as Brockers is letting us know, the process is not.
