The Los Angeles Rams plan to bring their entire team, including Aaron Donald, to Australia for their season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, head coach Sean McVay said Friday, according to ESPN's Sarah Barshop.
However, McVay wouldn't commit to Donald suiting up in Week 1. He says the defensive tackle's ramp-up period since coming out of retirement has been "really good."
"Obviously one of the best things you can do is get out there and play football in 11-on-11 settings with pads, your eye progression, taking on some of the double-teams, different things like that," McVay added. "So this week will be a big week for him in terms of how he feels. And then we'll just kind of take it a day at a time and see where he's at.
"If he feels good enough to go, great. If not, I've got a lot of confidence in the other guys that'll be ready to step up if that's the case, that have really gotten all the reps anyways."
Donald signed with the Rams on Sunday, agreeing to a one-year, $20-million deal that can reach $30 million with incentives. The eight-time first-team All-Pro had mulled a return to the NFL for months.
If Donald does play against the 49ers, it would be his first game since Jan. 14, 2024. In his final season before retiring, Donald recorded 23 quarterback hits, 16 tackles for loss, and eight sacks.
The Niners landed in Melbourne on Friday, while the Rams don't plan to arrive in Australia until the day before the game. The division rivals face off Sept. 10.
