Aaron Donald’s decision to retire from the NFL after 10 seasons was a huge surprise to many, especially after seeing him not another first-team All-Pro selection in 2023 – the eighth of his career. Fans were bracing for Donald to retire sometime soon but that didn’t lessen the shock of his official announcement last week.
While Donald did put out a statement, he hadn’t spoken about his decision since then. That is, until Wednesday afternoon when he shared a clip of an upcoming interview. In the video, he explains why he retired at the age of 32, saying he no longer has the passion to go through another camp and 17-game season.
“I’m complete. I’m full. I think the passion to play the game is no longer there for me,” Donald said. “I will always love football but to think about going through another camp and another 17(-game) season, I just don’t got the urge to want to push myself to do that no more. I’m just, I’m burned out. The best way to say that is I’m full, I’m complete, I’m satisfied with what I was able to do in 10 years. I think it’s time for me to, at 32 years old, retire from football and jump into the next step of my career and life and it’s time to move on.”
coming soon 🎬 #rams #ad99 #ready #retirement #ddg pic.twitter.com/ozh8QDs0j7
— AD_99 (@AaronDonald97) March 20, 2024
No one put in more time and effort over the course of a season and offseason than Donald. He was the first player in the weight room and the last one to leave the facility, often being found watching film late at night in preparation for an upcoming game.
He put everything he had into the last 10 seasons with the Rams and it’s understandable that he’d be burned out. At 32 years old and still one of the best defenders in the league, it might seem like he’s walking away early, but he has his health and a case full of trophies.
Donald is retiring as one of the greatest players of all time and a future first-ballot Hall of Famer. What else was there for him to do?