Aaron Donald Makes Comeback Debut as Rams Beat Giants 28-6 on Monday Night Football
Aaron Donald played his first NFL game in 981 days on Monday night, helping the Los Angeles Rams to a 28-6 win over the New York Giants at SoFi Stadium.
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year was greeted by a loud ovation from the home crowd, and produced the kind of play the Rams had brought him back for before the end of the first half.
A Goal-Line Stop
With the Giants facing third-and-2 at the Los Angeles three-yard line, Donald broke into the backfield and dropped running back Najee Harris for a three-yard loss. New York settled for a field goal on the next play.
Donald finished with three tackles and one run stuff across 32 defensive snaps, 58.2 per cent of the total. He did not register a pressure on the quarterback. He played around two-thirds of the defensive snaps in the first half before his workload was reduced as the Rams pulled clear.
It was his first game since the 2023 season. Donald retired in March 2024 after ten seasons with the club, then came out of retirement in late August on a one-year contract worth $20 million. He did not travel to Melbourne for the season opener against San Francisco, the Rams preferring to give him extra time to build fitness.
Speaking last week, Donald said his body had been responding well. "I've been holding up good, feeling good," he said. "Back-to-back days this week, so I'm feeling like myself. It's been a great week."
Head coach Sean McVay had made clear the decision was Donald's to make. "If he said it, he's going," McVay said. "Whatever Aaron says, I support."
Adams Fills the Gap
The Rams were without Puka Nacua and Myles Garrett, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year acquired in June, who is on injured reserve after knee surgery and will miss at least four games.
Davante Adams covered for Nacua's absence with 195 receiving yards and two touchdowns. His first, in the opening quarter, was notable for the fact that it came on a pass not thrown into the end zone, something that had not happened on any of his 15 receiving scores last season.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford, the reigning MVP, directed an efficient offence, and cornerback Trent McDuffie was among the defensive contributors.
A Bad Night for the Giants
New York lost quarterback Jaxson Dart on their opening series after he took a hard hit to his left knee. Jameis Winston replaced him but the Giants never found the end zone, their only points coming from two field goals, one of them a 52-yarder from rookie kicker Dominic Zvada.
The result was a strong response from the Rams after their 27-7 defeat to San Francisco at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Week 1, a performance McVay described afterwards as humbling.
Los Angeles, who entered the season as Super Bowl favourites, move to 1-1. Their next game is on the road against the Denver Broncos on Sunday night.
Donald's career numbers stand at 111 sacks and 24 forced fumbles, along with eight first-team All-Pro selections and a Super Bowl title from the 2021 season.
