Rams star Aaron Donald doesn’t want to bumble another fumble
Since coming out of retirement before this season, Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald adopted a humble approach, always allowing younger, less-accomplished players to go ahead of him during drills.
But on Thursday, the future Hall of Famer enthusiastically moved to the front of the line.
The Rams practiced scooping fumbled footballs off the turf.
“I needed that,” Donald said Thursday, chuckling. “Learn bending and getting down.”
Last Sunday against the Chargers, Donald missed the opportunity to score his first NFL touchdown when, with a clear shot to the end zone, he failed to come up with a fumble, albeit in hilarious fashion.
“I saw what he was thinking because it’s going right in front of you and he’s thinking, ‘I’m going to scoop and score,’” coach Sean McVay said after the game. “Then he knocks that … out of bounds. I mean, what the hell?
“His face, he couldn’t even look at me and make eye contact after that. But at least we can laugh about it right now.”
Donald was still laughing about it Thursday.
“I should have slowed down, but I felt people behind me and I’m like, ‘I’m going to get hit in my back. That’s going to hurt,’” he said. “So I tried to go full speed and scoop it. I thought the ball was going to bounce this way but it bounced that way, and it just looked all damn silly.
“Then I hit the ball out. I just laid down. ‘I can’t believe I just did that.’”
Donald was grinning throughout his session with reporters while replaying the missed opportunity — and the new opportunity on the horizon with edge rusher Myles Garrett back at practice.
McVay has not said whether Garrett will be activated from injured reserve and play for the first time since undergoing knee surgery after the season opener.
But Donald sounded as if that could happen Sunday when the Rams play the Washington Commanders in Landover, Md.
Donald did not play in the opener, so whenever Garrett returns would mark the first time the future Hall of Famers will play together.
“If Myles is 100% ready to go, and plays this week, that’s going to be amazing for us,” Donald said. “It’s always good when you have all the pieces of the puzzle.”
Donald, a three-time NFL defensive player of the year, and Garrett, a two-time winner, have a combined 236½ sacks. Last season with the Cleveland Browns, Garrett set an NFL season record with 23 sacks.
Donald has played in six games for a team that opened the season as the Super Bowl favorite but is 4-4 after its win over the Chargers.
Donald does not have a sack, but he has 12 tackles, three for losses.
Will Garrett’s return free Donald from double teams and other schemes?
“I’m pretty sure,” Donald said. “The guy did have 20-something sacks last year.”
Donald said the season has not gone as expected, but he is enjoying it.
“I’m enjoying the process, I’m enjoying myself week in and week out getting better, enjoying being out there with the guys,” he said. “And just playing this game.”
Etc.
The Rams activated kicker Joshua Karty to the roster from the practice squad and signed cornerback David Long to the practice squad. The Rams selected Long in the third round of the 2019 draft and he played three-plus seasons before stints with four other teams. … For the second day in a row, cornerback Trent McDuffie (back), tight end Colby Parkinson (ribs) and safety Kam Curl (foot) did not practice.
