Aaron Donald continues to hold out from Los Angeles Rams training camp in hopes of getting a new contract.
With Donald seeking to become the highest paid defensive player in NFL history, sides haven't been able to breach the gap in contract negotiations. Rams COO Kevin Demoff told Mighty 1090 AM in San Diego on Wednesday that the team and Donald's reps differ on the defensive tackle's value.
"I don't think they're unrealistic," Demoff said, via The Rams Wire. "I think they see their client at a certain point that they value at, we see it at a different point. To me, that doesn't mean one side is right or wrong. I think that's the worst thing you can say in negotiations. We don't agree, but that doesn't make us right and them wrong. It doesn't make them right and us wrong. We just don't agree. And hopefully we can find that magic bullet to go get there and agree."
Donald is seeking to surpass the 6-year, $114 million contract Ndamukong Suh signed in 2015, and the $19.016 million per year average deal Von Miller inked. Most reports have Donald looking to make QB money on his long-term deal.
The 27-year-old Defensive Player of the Year is slated to make $6.892 million in 2018 on the fifth year of his rookie contract.
The Rams' brass has been optimistic throughout the process a deal could get done before the season. Demoff added on Wednesday that he believes the sides will "ultimately wind up in a productive place."
Where that place ends up, and how long it takes to get there, remains to be seen. In the meantime, Donald's holdout continues as the NFL presses toward preseason games.
