NFL
Aaron Donald and Rams Agree to Contract Extension
After holding out all off-season, through team activities and mandatory mini camp, the Los Angeles Rams and defensive end Aaron Donald finally agreed to terms on a contract extension.
For the #Rams and DT Aaron Donald, it’s a 6-year extension worth $135M with $87M guaranteed. He gets a $40M signing bonus.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 31, 2018
The new contract makes Donald the highest paid defensive player in the NFL and keeps him to Los Angeles for the next seven seasons.
Donald was entering the last season of his rookie contract and set to make $6.9 million this year.
The battle over a contract extension between Donald and the Rams goes back to the end of 2016. The Rams had a disappointing season with a 4-12 record. The defensive end held out for all voluntary team events, but he showed up for camp to avoid fines. After attending mini camp, however, he was absent once again for the rest of training camp. Donald ultimately showed up on the night before the beginning of the 2017 season.
Donald didn’t let the no-contract offseason shake his confidence or game, though. He recorded 11 sacks and five forced fumbles in 14 games last season.
In singing the extension, Donald has ensured the Rams that he’ll be ready for the team’s season opener on Monday Sept. 10, against the Oakland Raiders. The four-time Pro-Bowler was drafted in the first round by the Rams in 2014. His rookie year featured two forced fumbles and nine sacks, earning him Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Donald has accumulated 39 sacks and nine forced fumbles — and is the current holder of the Defensive Player of the Year award.
With Donald officially in Los Angeles through the next seven years — alongside the return of Michael Brockers and the signing of Ndamukong Suh — the Rams seem to have a high-end defense locked in for seasons to come.
