Cooper Kupp: Rams keeping Aaron Donald’s locker open just in case

Last updated: 2024/05/22 at 3:01 PM

BigP Published May 22, 2024

The Los Angeles Rams are preparing for their first season in over a decade without Aaron Donald after the future Hall of Fame defensive lineman announced his retirement earlier this offseason.

But they’re also preparing for the possibility he comes back.

The Rams have not reassigned Donald’s locker, keeping it open just in case the three-time Defensive Player of the Year decides to — as his coach Sean McVay once famously urged during their Super Bowl title celebration — run it back.

Veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp, one of the other stars of that 2021 Rams team that won it all, revealed the status of Donald’s locker during a recent interview with NFL Media and also said he would keep making “backhanded comments” publicly to let Donald know the door is always open if he wants to come back.

Still, the Rams are moving forward with a young, retooled defensive line in Donald’s absence under first-year defensive coordinator Chris Shula. They drafted edge rusher Jared Verse in the first round of last month’s NFL Draft before trading up to select Verse’s Florida State teammate Braden Fiske in the second round.

[Exclusive: The Rams can’t replace Aaron Donald. But Chris Shula, grandson of Don, has a plan]

General manager Les Snead noted that the back-to-back picks of Verse and Fiske were made with the understanding that it would take multiple high-level players to replace Donald.

But Snead has also made it clear he would welcome Donald back for another playoff run, publicly hinting as much himself several weeks ago and pointing out something similar happened with veteran safety Eric Weddle during their Super Bowl season.

Whether there is actually a chance that Donald, who has publicly described himself as “complete” and “satisfied” with his NFL career since retiring, would actually consider even a brief comeback is another story altogether. But the message from the Rams is clear: If their 32-year-old franchise legend ever felt like he had more to give them, the team would welcome him back with open arms.

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