Rams sit Aaron Donald for Australia opener against 49ers

Los Angeles is planning around a possible 20-game season.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Sep 81 min read

The Rams travel 35,000 miles this season. 2nd most in the NFL. Plan and hope to play 20 games Patience. Via @danorlovsky7 on X

What happened: Los Angeles is giving Donald more time to ramp up after ending his retirement last month. The team is scheduled to leave California Tuesday and reach Melbourne about 24 hours before kickoff.

Why it matters: San Francisco will face a Los Angeles front without the three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year. The extensive itinerary makes recovery planning a season-long concern.

By the numbers: Donald, 35, last played in January 2024. The Rams project 35,000 travel miles, second-most in the NFL.

What to watch: Donald can make his season debut no earlier than Week 2. Thursday will test the Rams' late-arrival strategy in Melbourne.

Sources

@danorlovsky7 2026-09-08T23:23:33.024321+00:00

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