Aaron Donald Works Out With Rams Again As Decision To Return To Nfl Looms

The NFL's daily transactions wire listed an especially notable name on Aug. 16: Aaron Donald.

The former eight-time All-Pro defensive tackle has not come out of retirement – yet. The Los Angeles Rams listed Donald as a "tryout" player on the transactions wire on Sunday, marking the second time this month he's worked out with his former team.

Donald, 35, announced his retirement following the 2023 season. This offseason, he's hinted several times at making a grand return to the NFL. The momentum toward a potential un-retirement picked up earlier this summer – after the Rams acquired two-time Defensive Player of the Year winner Myles Garrett in a blockbuster trade on June 1.

AARON DONALD: Former DPOY tested potential return with Rams with workout at their facility

"[The Myles Garrett trade] for sure got me thinking," Donald said via text, per "The Pat McAfee Show" on June 2.

On July 10, Donald was spotted working out at the Rams' facility. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that Donald "wanted to go there, work out, see how he felt, see how he reacted, see everything that went along with being back in pads on the football field and seeing how it made him feel."

On Aug. 5, the Rams listed Donald on the transactions wire for the first time, listing him as a "tryout" player. Schefter reported at the time that Donald wore a helmet and used Rams equipment when he worked out at the facility at the beginning of the month. That compelled Los Angeles to report that the three-time DPOY had worked out with them on the NFL's official transactions list.

MYLES GARRETT TRADE: Rams' biggest move 'got me thinking,' Donald said

Sean McVay: Rams not rushing Donald into making decision

Despite the uptick in activity for Donald and the Rams in recent weeks and months, head coach Sean McVay has reiterated that the team has no plans to rush the veteran into deciding whether he'll come out of retirement.

"I'm hopeful that it will be sooner than later, but I also want to respect when he does feel like that clarity will come," McVay told reporters on Aug. 15. "I think there's a chance that we'll be closer to that than not. But again, I don't want to say too much or put some sort of invisible deadline on something that doesn't exist in my mind for him."

If Donald remains retired, he's likely bound for first-ballot Hall of Famer status within the decade. His eight first-team All-Pro nods are tied for fifth-most all-time for a single player. Donald is also one of three NFL players in history to win the Defensive Player of the Year award three times, alongside Lawrence Taylor and J.J. Watt.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Aaron Donald works out with Rams again as decision to return to NFL looms