The Rams won't have Myles Garrett for their home opener, but they might welcome a franchise legend back to the field.
During his Friday media availability, defensive tackle Aaron Donald told reporters the plan is for him to play in Los Angeles' Monday night contest against the New York Giants.
"That's the plan," Donald said. "Two practices, today, have another practice tomorrow, and then we'll see, but feeling good."
Donald did not travel with the Rams to their season-opening loss in Melbourne, Australia, choosing to stay back in Southern California to focus on his ramp-up process prior to making his season debut. With Donald not in the picture and Garrett dealing with a knee injury that eventually required surgery and placement on injured reserve, the Rams were clobbered by the San Francisco 49ers, 27-7.
It was just one game, of course, and Donald valued his preparation for returning to NFL game action -- an environment he hasn't seen since he retired after the 2023 season -- more than rushing himself back to the field.
After Los Angeles completed a blockbuster trade for Garrett on June 1, Donald spent the summer flirting with coming out of retirement to rejoin the Rams. He didn't officially do so until Aug. 30, though, leaving him a limited window to prepare himself physically for the marathon that is an NFL season.
Traveling to Australia was likely never going to fit into those plans. The extra week of practice, however, appears to have positioned Donald to make his return in the same stadium he last called home.
"I don't know, I ain't really think about that," Donald said when asked what it will feel like to run out on the field at SoFi Stadium again. "Because to me, I know I ain't play in two years, but being back around, I feel like I was just here last year. Time flies by so fast and I kind of forget that I didn't play football in two years. I kind of just feel like I'm just back to my normal self and like I was playing last year, even though I wasn't. I'm just going to take it all in, enjoy it, try to give the fans something to cheer for, enjoy the game and try to come away with a win."
