Aaron Donald could retire if Rams don't meet demands

The future of Aaron Donald is still unclear, and there are rumors the star defensive tackle could potentially retire if the Los Angeles Rams do not meet his salary demands.

After winning Super Bowl LVI in February with the Rams, Donald flirted with the idea of retirement after finally achieving his life-long dream. If the Rams can't meet his demands, will we see arguably the greatest defensive player of all-time hang up his cleats?

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According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year may yet choose to retire. Fowler said:

"Keep in mind that the retirement buzz around Donald—first delivered by NBC’s Rodney Harrison on the Super Bowl pregame broadcast—was always real. And it’s my understanding that he has a number he will play for. If it’s not met, retirement can still go down. Adding years to an already existing three-year pact takes him well into his mid-30s, and who knows whether he wants to play that long? But that’s the best way for Los Angeles to stretch out the money for cap purposes."

According to Fowler, Donald has a number in mind that he will be prepared to play for in 2022. It is still unclear whether or not both parties will find an amicable solution.

Speaking to ESPN on May 13, Rams head coach Sean McVay said that he believes Donald will be back for the team next year:

"My hope and anticipation is he's coming back and ready to roll and continue to be the great player that he's been, elavating everyone around him, otherwise I might be coming and hanging with you guys a lot sooner than I want to!"

McVay wanted to have his best player back in 2022, but we will have to wait and see if a new contract can be agreed upon.

How will the Los Angeles Rams fare in 2022, with or without Aaron Donald?

When the NFL schedule was released, it was revealed that the Rams have the toughest schedule in the entire league. In 2022 they will play the likes of the Buffalo Bills, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Green Bay Packers on top of their already tricky NFC West divisional opponents.

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As the reigning Super Bowl champions, everyone in the league will want to defeat the Rams, adding extra difficulty to each matchup. Even if they play without Aaron Donald, the Rams possess such firepower on offense that it will be tough to pick against them in any fixture in 2022.