Aaron Donald, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year for the Los Angeles Rams, has missed his first practice since returning to the team. After practicing on Sunday, Donald did not participate in Monday's session, leading to uncertainty about his availability for the Rams' season opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia.
Rams head coach Sean McVay explained that the decision to hold Donald out of practice was part of a planned approach to gradually ease him back into football activities. McVay stated, "Aaron not being out there was part of the plan all along," emphasizing that the team is focused on ensuring Donald is in the best possible shape before returning to the field.
Donald has been working out independently for the past two months, but McVay noted that the 35-year-old defensive tackle is still working to regain his football conditioning. McVay acknowledged the possibility that Donald might not play in Week 1, saying, "Oh, yeah, absolutely. That could be a possibility."
The Rams are scheduled to travel to Melbourne, Australia, next week, and the coaching staff aims to make a decision on Donald's status before the trip. McVay indicated that if it is determined that Donald is not ready, the team would not want him to make the lengthy flight unnecessarily.
The Rams plan to assess Donald's readiness based on his practice performance in the coming days. Donald himself has expressed that he is not rushing his return, stating, "I need to be at the level that I want to play at and that's all I can do."
