Current:Home > MarketsRetired DT Aaron Donald still has presence on Rams, but team will 'miss him' in 2024 -Intelligent Capital Compass
Retired DT Aaron Donald still has presence on Rams, but team will 'miss him' in 2024
NovaQuant View
Date:2025-04-10 16:47:13
Sean McVay is preparing for first time as the Los Angeles Rams head coach to play a full season without star defensive tackle Aaron Donald. It’s a void in the interior of the Rams defense that the team has come to terms with just days away from their season opener against the Detroit Lions.
"I want them to play the way that they're capable of the way that they've played throughout the offseason, through training camp. I want them to be able to play within themselves. Go enjoy it,” McVay told reporters this week. “I really love this group that we've been around. We've said it over and over, and you know this too. You're not ever replacing an Aaron Donald and that's not what we're asking of our guys.”
Despite Donald’s retirement in March, the Rams’ all-time sack leader still has a presence and impact on the franchise. McVay tells players stories about Donald and the future Hall of Famer visited the club leading up to Week 1.
“We were so fortunate and blessed to have such a special player in Aaron Donald to be around. What I thought was cool is he set a great example for guys that saw him play,” McVay said. “I can use him as stories all the time. He was around last week.”
While McVay admitted that he misses the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, a player who helped the franchise win Super Bowl 56, he’s happy Donald is enjoying life as a retired athlete.
PLAY TO WIN $5K: USA TODAY's Pro Football Survivor Pool is free to enter. Sign up now!
“It's pretty special that he's earned the right to be able to be so content, complete and full to use his words. He's coaching his son's football team, loving that. His three-year-old son Aaric had a great birthday at their house the other day,” McVay said. “I'm really happy for Aaron. I do miss him but I'm excited about the opportunity for these guys to go do their thing and start to etch their names in this thing."
The Rams selected pass rusher Jared Verse and defensive tackle Braden Fiske with their first two picks in the 2024 NFL draft to help supplement the loss of Donald upfront. The two rookies are projected to start in the Rams’ base 3-4 defense. The team is also hoping returning defensive tackles Kobie Turner, who had a team-high nine sacks in 2023, and Bobby Brown make big impacts.
“I want Kobie Turner to be Kobie Turner. I want Bobby Brown to be Bobby Brown. Braden Fiske to be Braden Fiske,” McVay said. “That's really what we're looking for.”
On offense, wide receiver Cooper Kupp, the 2021 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, is healthy after missing five games last season.
“I think he's done a fantastic job of getting his body back to where he wants it to be as far as feeling good, going out there, running, and doing all the things it takes to be Cooper Kupp,” Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “I'm just happy for him [and] the way that he's feeling.”
Kupp is healthy and that should be a major boon for the Rams. But, as McVay said, they’ll certainly miss No. 99 in 2024 and beyond.
Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.
veryGood! (3395)
Related
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- Will anyone hit 74 homers? Even Aaron Judge thinks MLB season record is ‘a little untouchable’
- Frank Fritz, the 'bearded charmer' of 'American Pickers,' dies 2 years after stroke
- Woman who lost husband and son uses probate process to obtain gunman’s records
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- California sues Catholic hospital for denying emergency abortion
- Pac-12 building college basketball profile with addition of Gonzaga
- Gossip Girl's Kelly Rutherford Shares Update on Life in Monaco After Years-Long Custody Battle
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- Kentucky lawman steps down as sheriff of the county where he’s accused of killing a judge
Ranking
- Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
- Harris will tour Helene devastation in Georgia, North Carolina as storm scrambles campaign schedule
- Hurricane Helene Lays Bare the Growing Threat of Inland Flooding
- Peak northern lights activity coming soon: What to know as sun reaches solar maximum
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- Officials identify driver who crashed into a Texas pipeline and sparked a 4-day fire
- Officials identify driver who crashed into a Texas pipeline and sparked a 4-day fire
- Police officer fatally shoots man at a home, New Hampshire attorney general says
Recommendation
IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
Would Suits’ Sarah Rafferty Return for the L.A. Spinoff? She Says…
Morgan Wallen donates $500K for Hurricane Helene relief
All-season vs. winter tires: What’s the difference?
Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
Is it time to buy an AI-powered Copilot+ PC?
Honda's history through the decades: Here's the 13 coolest models of all time
Frankie Valli addresses viral Four Seasons performance videos, concerns about health