It didn’t take long before Aaron Donald established himself as one of the absolute best players in the NFL.
Despite being overlooked because of his size — or lack thereof — the Pittsburgh native was an unstoppable force at the line of scrimmage, and he was the undisputed No. 1 headhunter in the league.
Donald had already guaranteed himself a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame before winning a Super Bowl ring, which is why he felt comfortable walking away from the game despite still having more juice left.
There were rumors about Donald being ready to retire at the end of the 2022 season.
Eventually, Donald ran it back for another two seasons before calling it quits.
Now, looking back to his career, he admits that winning a Super Bowl actually motivated him to play for longer.
Talking on the COME GET SOME podcast, Donald stated that he had always said that he would retire from the NFL after eight years, and that’s a plan everybody around him was aware of.
Nonetheless, getting that taste of glory was just too good to walk away from.
Aaron Donald’s original plan was to only play eight seasons in the NFL & seriously contemplated an earlier retirement.
“I just happened to win a Super Bowl my 8th year… But winning a Super Bowl, it’s hard to walk away from that. It’s like a drug.”
–@AaronDonald97 ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/AUk9ZqyraG
— COME GET SOME (@ComeGetSomeShow) July 23, 2024
Unfortunately, the following season was plagued by injuries, and the Rams weren’t that much of a force anymore.
Donald still bounced back and dominated in his final season, but once again, to no avail.
At the end of the day, he walked away as one of the greatest players this game has ever seen, and it’s nice to know that he didn’t retire ringless like so many other great players.
