The New York Giants are fully expecting to face Aaron Donald on Monday night, and honestly, who wouldn’t be steeling themselves for that kind of force? Rams coach Sean McVay has been tight-lipped, only calling himself “hopeful” that the dominant defensive lineman hits the field, but all signs point to the big man making his long-awaited return.
The Long Road Back to the Field
Let’s talk about this two-year absence. That’s a huge chunk of time for anyone, let alone an all-world talent like Donald. He’s been grinding to get back, staying home from the Rams’ trip to Australia just to focus on his recovery. We’re talking about a guy who hasn’t played since 2023! The journey back started with individual drills way back on August 30, and then he finally joined team drills on September 6. McVay confirmed Donald was set for full participation in Thursday’s practice, and he’s not even on the team’s injury report. That’s a massive step, especially considering the roster exemption for Donald was only just lifted on Friday. You know he’s been “champing at the bit” to get back in the action.
“How Does He Feel?” Is The Only Benchmark
Forget the usual milestones and targets, because for Donald, it’s all about how he feels. McVay emphasized that the Rams aren’t looking for specific benchmarks to determine if Donald plays. It’s simply “more along the line of how does he feel?” That’s a smart approach for a player coming back from such a long layoff, especially one as impactful as Donald. The Rams’ wild travel schedule to Australia definitely threw a wrench in his limited practice opportunities, which is a bummer, but he’s apparently been getting some good work in.
McVay’s final words on it were pretty clear: “what we are hopeful is, is that we’ll have some good work today and tomorrow and then hopefully he’s feeling good enough and if he says he’s ready to go, then we’ll be excited to see him.” So, it all comes down to Donald’s green light after these last couple of sessions. Meanwhile, Rams defensive end Myles Garrett is “feeling good” after knee surgery on Monday. But all eyes are on Monday night for Donald’s monumental return. You just know that Giants offense is game-planning with him in mind.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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