Sean Mcvay Provides Updates On Aaron Donald And Myles Garrett Against The 49ers

When Aaron Donald signed with the Los Angeles Rams, the assumption was that the 35-year-old who hasn’t played since 2023 would travel across the world in a couple of weeks with little practice under his belt for Week 1.

The odds of Donald playing Week 1 were slim once he sat out of training camp. Last week, Sean McVay told reporters that Donald would make the trip with the Rams. That would’ve meant he had fewer than ten practices to play.

That changed today after reality hit, as McVay said Donald won’t make the trip with the team. That means whoever is rotating at left guard for the San Francisco 49ers won’t face Donald when he’s at his freshest, still trying to prove to himself he made the correct decision to come out of retirement.

That’s a good thing for Brock Purdy, too.

Donald will need more time to ramp up before returning. The circumstances aren’t the same, but if George Kittle needed a longer ramp-up, it would’ve made complete sense. Week 1 is already taxing enough without the trip to Australia.

The mental and physical toll after a long layoff would make the entire experience exhausting. Add in the recovery from that, and it’s understandable why the Rams elected to give Donald more time.

As for Kittle, 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said, “He’s practicing full speed. He’s getting a ton of reps. So, I feel like we’re in good shape.” An extra week of practice might’ve been the difference in Kittle not needing a longer ramp-up period.

That’s a good thing for Brock Purdy, too.

McVay said Myles Garrett will be ready to go. So, as much of a break as the Niners are getting without Donald, there’s still the reigning Defensive Player of the Year fresh off a 23-sack season.

Garrett didn’t do much for the Rams during training camp and the preseason as he dealt with swelling in his left knee. It makes you wonder if they were doing the same thing the 49ers did with Nick Bosa, given the player’s importance.

Judging by the video where Garrett is working on hitting more violently, I’d say a lot of this is gamesmanship.