Why did Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald retire?

When considering the career of Aaron Donald, it’s hard not to compare him to Barry Sanders. After all, they are the only two players in the history of the NFL to play at least 10 seasons and be named to the Pro Bowl in each one of them. There’s also the fact that both men brought ended their respective careers when they were at the peak of their powers. Yet, the question remains: Why?

Aaron Donald answers THE question

If you caught our recent report about the above-mentioned legend, Barry Sanders, then you will likely know that the Hall of Famer cited a loss of passion for the game as the central reason for his decision to walk away at the age of 30 years old, following 10 seasons in the NFL. Indeed, it is yet another example of how the careers of Sanders and Donald have mirrored each other. Donald has of course spent ten seasons in Los Angeles and to hear him tell it, there isn’t much difference in his reasoning when compared with that of Sanders.

“I’m complete. I’m full,” Donald said in his first interview since retiring. “I think the passion to play the Game is no longer there for me. I will always love Football, but to think about going through camp and going through another 17 (Game) season. I just don’t have the urge to want to push myself to do that no more. I’m burnt out, if anything. The best way to say it is that I’m full. I’m complete. I’m satisfied with what I was able to do in 10 years. I think it’s time for me, at 32 years old, to retire from Football and jump into the next step of my career and my life. It’s time to move on.”

Donald continued by acknowledging his many achievements, cementing the point that there is nothing left for him to do. “Ten years, 10 Pro Bowls,” he said. “Eight All-Pros, three Defensive Player of the Years, Defensive Rookie of the Year, two NFC championships, three NFC West championships, went to two Super Bowls, won one, lost one.” With that, the curtain comes down on a career that few others in the Game can compare with when it comes to the idea of going out on top.