Any doubts regarding Aaron Donald's 2022 return seem to have been squashed for some time.
Among the prevailing reasons behind that is Donald's quest for another Super Bowl and his belief that he's improving with age, which is a frightening prospect for opposing offensive linemen and quarterbacks.
"We got a real shot to repeat and really win a Super Bowl," Donald said on the recently released Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast. "Why not come back and play? That's all it's about. I experienced this, I thought I wanted to be done, but I got addicted to it."
Donald and the Los Angeles Rams' 2021 campaign concluded with confetti raining down upon them following a Super Bowl LVI triumph over the Cincinnati Bengals. It was glory had thanks in huge part to the exploits of Donald, who awoke from a first-half slumber on the stat sheet to ravage the Bengals offense in the second half. In all, Donald had four tackles and two sacks with seven quarterback pressures – five coming in the final half. The game ended with Donald tossing Bengals QB Joe Burrow to the turf, putting a defensive exclamation point on the franchise's first Super Bowl win in Los Angeles.
Indeed, Donald taking over was inevitable, and it seems that after that, so too was a return.
"I'm hungry to try to get another one for sure, I can't lie about that," Donald said.
Though the podcast interview was released this past week, it was recorded much earlier as evidenced by Donald talking about his hopes of Von Miller returning to the roster. Miller moved on to the Buffalo Bills, but the Rams have reloaded with free-agent signings of wide receiver Allen Robinson and linebacker Bobby Wagner.
Donald, by his accord, is also revamped for the upcoming campaign.
"Yeah, I'm faster," Donald said. "I was just with my guy Wednesday training and I always ask after I work, 'What do you think?' And he [said] back, 'You've got about three, five more years in you with how you're moving.' So, I feel good, I really do feel good. I feel quick, I feel explosive. I don't feel like I'm slowing down -- if anything I feel like I'm getting faster. I feel like I'm in better shape. I keep telling people, I get better with age, man. I don't slow down. I just feel like I'm getting that much stronger. I look better with age and all that."
A 6-foot-1, 280-pound brickhouse who can line up anywhere along the defensive line, Donald is approaching his 31st birthday (it's May 23 if you're looking for a present). He'll hit the 2022 season with three AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year accolades, eight Pro Bowl selections, seven All-Pro nods and one long-awaited Super Bowl ring to his credit.
He's poised to track down ring No. 2 in 2022 with a newly announced addiction to winning and a belief that he's only getting better as the autumns go by.
