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Aaron Donald is apparently well aware of just how much of a disappointment the 2022 NFL season truly was for the Los Angeles Rams. They finished the year with a disastrous 5-12 record immediately following their Super Bowl LVI victory against the Cincinnati Bengals.
It resulted in an unfortunate NFL record, posting the most losses ever by a defending Super Bowl champion.
As any great leader would, Aaron Donald claimed to take part of the blame for the Rams' historic struggles during the 2022 season, mentioning his own individual performance as one of the reasons why. He did so during a recent interview, according to USA Today.
Here's what Donald had to say:
"I’ve got a lot to prove. I didn’t have the season I wanted, obviously coming off of an injury and things like that. I feel like to get to where you need to be, it's like starting over from scratch again. It's a brand new year. Last year was last year, but there’s a little fire lit into me."
"I got a little motivation towards that, to push me to feel like I'm back on ground one. So I’m trying to get back to where I want to be as a player, as a teammate, as a team overall, and that’s been kind of pushing me a little bit."
Aaron Donald is one of just three players in NFL history, along with Lawrence Taylor and JJ Watt, to have been named the Defensive Player of the Year three times. He didn't play to his usual level of dominance during the 2022 NFL season, partially due to his ankle injury that forced him to miss six games.
The legendary defensive superstar seems focused on moving past their disappointing 2022 campaign. He believes that he and the Rams can bounce back during the 2023 NFL season. While he may be right, they will need to do so with a much weaker supporting cast on defense.
Key departures from Aaron Donald's defense as Rams enter "remodel" phase
General Manager Les Snead refused to claim that his Los Angeles Rams are in a dreaded rebuilding phase, instead saying they are looking to "remodel" their roster. Regardless of the title, they have parted ways with many key players over the past two years, especially on defense.
Some of the superstars they will proceed without during the upcoming 2023 NFL season include Jalen Ramsey, Leonard Floyd, Von Miller, and Bobby Wagner.
Aaron Donald was once surrounded by elite defenders, but this year is a much different situation. He seems up for the challenge, per his recent interview.
