How long does it take a star defensive player to work his way back into the starting lineup after an offseason holdout?
About a week, apparently.
Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters Friday that Aaron Donald would get the start on Sunday against the Redskins, six days after he reported to the club. Donald, 26, has made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons and attempted to force Los Angeles' hand this offseason into getting him a lucrative contract extension.
The team officially added Donald to the active roster on Saturday.
The writing was on the wall this week in Los Angeles. Even defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, who spent the offseason sans Donald changing the team's 4-3 defense to a 3-4, said it wasn't going to be difficult integrating arguably the best interior pass rusher in football. Getting Donald one-on-one usually seals the deal.
So it goes for McVay, who had to weather a high-profile holdout during his first few months as the NFL's youngest head coach in history. Now, he's decided to simply let bygones be bygones and make his defense markedly better. With McVay's former team, the Redskins, in town this weekend, the Rams plan to pull no punches.
