Aaron Donald established himself as one of the greatest defensive tackles in NFL history during his decade-long career with the Rams.
He ended his career during the 2024 NFL offseason when he officially announced his retirement.
Donald's decision came two days after the NFL's 2024 league year began. He released a lengthy statement about his decision on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
"For 10 years, I have been fortunate to play the game of football at the highest level," Donald wrote. "I'm thankful for the people I've met along the way, the relationships I've built and the things I've accomplished with my teammates and individually."
Donald didn't immediately explain why he retired. It wasn't a shocking decision, as he flirted with calling it quits after the Rams won Super Bowl 56 in 2022, but it still jarred some NFL fans who were surprised Donald walked away while still at the top of his game.
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Here's what to know about Donald's retirement as he opens up about caling it quits.
Why did Aaron Donald retire?
Donald retired because he was content with what he achieved during his 10-year NFL career. He cited his eight All-Pro nods and Super Bowl win as crowning accolades for him and explained that he just didn't have another season in him at this time.
"I'm complete. I'm full. I think the passion to play the game is no longer there for me," Donald said in a video clip posted to X (formerly Twitter). "I will always love football, but to think about going through another camp and another 17-game season — I just don't got the urge to wanna do that no more."
coming soon 🎬 #rams #ad99 #ready #retirement #ddg pic.twitter.com/ozh8QDs0j7
— AD_99 (@AaronDonald97) March 20, 2024
“I’m burned out,” Donald added. “I’m full. I’m complete. I’m satisfied with what I was able to do in 10 years, and I think it's time for me at 32 years old to retire from football and jump into the next step of my career and my life. It's time to move on."
Donald played in 154 career regular-season games and 11 postseason contests, so it's easy to understand why he felt "burned out." He also dealt with injuries over his final two seasons, missing seven total games over two years. In the previous eight seasons, he missed just two total games.
That combination led to Donald's retirement, which should ensure he will get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton on his first ballot in 2029.
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Aaron Donald stats
Donald finished his career with 111 sacks in 154 career postseason games. He led the league in sacks in 2018 — his second of three Defensive Player of the Year wins in his career — and earned eight total All-Pros from 2015 to 2023.
Below is a look at Donald's season-by-season stats with the Rams:
| Year | Games | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Forced fumbles |
| 2014 | 16 | 48 | 18 | 9 | 2 |
| 2015 | 16 | 69 | 22 | 11 | 0 |
| 2016 | 16 | 47 | 17 | 8 | 2 |
| 2017 | 14 | 41 | 15 | 11 | 5 |
| 2018 | 16 | 59 | 25 | 20.5 | 4 |
| 2019 | 16 | 48 | 20 | 12.5 | 2 |
| 2020 | 16 | 45 | 14 | 13.5 | 4 |
| 2021 | 17 | 84 | 19 | 12.5 | 4 |
| 2022 | 11 | 49 | 10 | 5 | 1 |
| 2023 | 16 | 53 | 16 | 8 | 0 |
| Total | 154 | 543 | 176 | 111 | 24 |
Donald was a generational talent at defensive tackle and alongside J.J. Watt, he helped lead the NFL's interior pass rush revolution. Suffice to say his impact on the game will be remembered fondly as he rides off into the sunset.
