Aaron Donald’s possible return to the Los Angeles Rams appears to be moving closer after head coach Sean McVay revealed that conversations with the retired defensive tackle now include provisional timelines.

Donald has been testing his body through a demanding training programme as he considers playing for the first time since the 2023 season and, while McVay stopped short of predicting the outcome, his latest update was considerably more optimistic than his earlier insistence that he genuinely did not know which way Donald would decide.

“There’s some conversations that we’ve had,” McVay said after Friday’s first padded practice at Loyola Marymount University. “We’ve loosely had some different timelines that are kind of temporary. I want to keep those between us, just if something unforeseen happens, out of respect for him and the situation. But I know this, things are going in the right direction and, if there’s an arrow, it’s trending upwards.”

McVay does not anticipate an announcement while the Rams remain at Loyola Marymount, where their current training camp block runs through August 6th, but the team will reassess Donald’s position after returning to its permanent practice facility in Woodland Hills.

“That’ll be something that, I think, once we get back to Woodland Hills, we’ll have a better idea of what that timeline looks like,” McVay said. “There won’t be any decision and anything in terms of Aaron’s situation while we’re here. That’s kind of already been set out when we’ve talked for the past couple weeks.”

The renewed possibility of a comeback emerged while Los Angeles was exploring the trade that brought reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett from Cleveland. McVay sought Donald’s opinion of Garrett and, during those discussions, the prospect of the two playing together entered the conversation.

The Rams completed the Garrett deal on June 1st, sending Jared Verse and three draft selections — including a 2027 first-round pick — to the Browns. Garrett arrives after establishing an NFL single-season record with 23 sacks in 2025, while Donald is one of only three players to have won Defensive Player of the Year three times.

Garrett said this week that he would welcome Donald as his ‘partner in crime’, but would not attempt to influence a decision involving football, family and the physical demands of returning after two years away.

“I’d love to learn from him,” Garrett said. “I’ve watched his tape. Everyone who’s been a rusher from anywhere across the line, they have a lot of respect for him. I don’t want to push him in one way or another. If he’s here, I’m going to be excited to be his team-mate, his partner in crime.

“And I think we can do great things, but it’s a difficult thing coming back, and I know he has a family. He has a lot of decisions to make. Last thing he needs is me to push him in one direction or another. I’m gonna support him either way and I look forward to seeing whatever happens.”

Donald retired in March 2024 after spending his entire 10-year career with the Rams. He accumulated 111 sacks in 154 regular season appearances, earned eight first-team All-Pro selections and was chosen for the Pro Bowl in every season he played. His final campaign still produced eight sacks, 53 tackles and another first-team All-Pro honour.

When training camp opened, McVay explained that Donald was following a programme similar to his preparation during his playing career.

“He is going through his process, and he is putting himself in a position to make a decision, and he’s earned the right to be able to do that,” McVay said. “For those of you guys that do know Aaron, he’s very diligent. Anything that he does, he does all in, and so he’s going through a very strict, regimented process that was similar to what he did when he played, see how his body responds and feels.”

The Rams already possess a defense built to contend, with Garrett joining a unit that includes Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske and Byron Young. Adding Donald would create a pairing of two generational defensive linemen with five Defensive Player of the Year awards between them. That possibility remains dependent upon how Donald feels after completing his physical evaluation. McVay’s language nevertheless suggests that the discussion has progressed from an intriguing suggestion to a comeback the Rams are beginning to plan around.