Aaron Donald has never gone this long without playing football. He last took the field on Nov. 27 when the Rams faced the Chiefs, which is when he suffered an ankle injury that required offseason surgery.
So it’s been a little more than nine months since he last played, which must feel like an eternity after he and the Rams had just a six-month offseason after their Super Bowl win.
Needless to say, he’s a little bit excited to suit up and play again. While this season feels different because of the changes to the Rams’ roster, he’s just anxious to run out of the tunnel and rush the passer again.
“Yeah, I guess you could say that. I would say just because of playing with new guys,” Donald said Thursday. “Obviously, got to go through this process with them and get a little feel for how they play and what they can do. But you know, it’s like coming with a new team pretty much so just ready to go play this week though. It’s been a while for me. I haven’t played since December so to get back out there, I’m excited. I got the jitters so I’m just ready to go.”
Donald is entering his 10th NFL season so he’s been through this countless times before. But even as he crosses the decade mark in the NFL, he still gets butterflies before the season opener.
That’s partly because of his extended absence, but it’s also a sign of how much he cares about the game.
“I wouldn’t say nervous, it’s more anxious,” Donald added. “Just trying to get on the field. I ain’t played since we played the Chiefs so it’s been a while. You miss the game. You miss the whole experience of being on the field and going against the team and trying to find a way to win. So it’s been a while for me, so it’s more you get the butterflies and just anxious to get on the field. I wish we could play right now, but still got a couple days so it is just more like that for me.”
On a defense that’s lacking star power this year, Donald will be even more essential to the team’s success. After a season that fell below his own standards, Donald is looking to bounce back and make a name for himself again, as he put it.
He shouldn’t have any trouble doing that now that he’s healthy and ready to roll.
“Obviously healthy, feeling good,” Donald said. “I feel like I’ve been playing well. Obviously got to wait until the game too to see if translates and do what I need to do on the football field to help my team to be successful. But where I’m at right now, I feel pretty good. I’m feeling pretty confident so I just got to go out there and execute.”
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