THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams ran a play that called for Sam Rogers to take a handoff during Wednesday’s practice. But Aaron Donald penetrated the line of scrimmage and worked his way into the backfield before the rookie fullback could even touch the ball. And that’s when Todd Gurley knew that Donald was really back.
“Aaron’s Aaron,” Gurley said. “He’s going to dominate practice.”
The Rams expect him to dominate in the upcoming game, too, even though he basically spent the entire summer working out on his own. Donald ended his holdout on Saturday, but he didn’t practice with the team until Wednesday and he wasn’t in full pads until Thursday. Teammates still didn’t notice much of a dropoff.
“Some things you just know,” Rams left guard Rodger Saffold said. “He’s been doing this for a long time now. I expect him to continue to do the same. As far as conditioning and everything else, it seems like he’s fine. You never really know when you get into a game, but I bet money that he’s going to be fine playing.”
Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said Donald will be “on a pitch count” in the Week 2 home game against the Washington Redskins. Phillips said the same thing about Robert Quinn heading into the opener, and Quinn wound up playing 25 snaps, or 50 percent of the defensive workload. Donald could get something similar, maybe even a bit less. The Rams’ Week 3 game will be the following Thursday, on the road against the San Francisco 49ers, and that quick turnaround may be a consideration.
“He looked to be in good shape,” Phillips said of Donald. “You know, football shape and shape are two different things because you’re carrying a lot more weight with pads on and so forth. But he doesn’t seem to be bothered too much by the reps we’re giving him in practice. It’s not wearing him out.”
Donald isn’t really expected to be in football shape yet.
“I’m not even in football shape, so I doubt he’s in football shape,” Gurley said, laughing. “It takes a while. But hey, you never know. He’s built differently. He’s one of a kind, so there’s no telling. He might already be right. I’m pretty sure he wasn’t just chilling. I know he was definitely getting it in back at home, so he’ll be fine.”
The Rams, coming off a 46-9 blowout of a shorthanded Indianapolis Colts team, have a much tougher test in their second game of the season. The Redskins’ offense — formerly under the direction of Rams head coach Sean McVay — boasts a solid offensive line, a proven quarterback in Kirk Cousins and an array of weapons, including Jordan Reed, Terrelle Pryor and Jamison Crowder. The Rams’ front seven will have to bring consistent pressure to make Cousins uncomfortable and take some of the strain off their secondary, which is why Donald’s return is so crucial.
But is it fair to expect Donald to be the same guy after missing so much time?
“Yeah,” Rams inside linebacker Alec Ogletree said. “I don’t see why he shouldn’t be the same person because he’s just that type of athlete, and he’s a guy that I know works hard when he’s not here. I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
Donald, who eventually may be the game’s highest-paid non-quarterback, skipped the three weeks of organized team activities during the spring, then held out for 43 days in training camp and in the preseason. But he was with the Rams during their voluntary minicamp in late April and during their mandatory minicamp in the middle of June. He was able to pick up a lot of Phillips’ defense then. It’s a new scheme, but Donald’s role won’t really change — he’ll still line up as the 3-technique, and he’ll still rush the quarterback.
“When he goes in there, we tell him, ‘Go,'” Phillips said. “It’s not real complicated for him.”
Phillips believes Donald’s presence has “energized our team.” He didn’t address the players when he returned, and McVay didn’t even bring up Donald’s absence during the first team meeting on Monday. The Rams moved forward as if he had been there all along. The players didn’t feel as if Donald owed them an explanation.
“There’s a business side to this situation,” Ogletree said, “and he had to handle it the way he had to handle it. We weren’t mad or anything. We welcomed him back, just like we’ve been saying we would.”
“He’s got to do what’s best for him and his family, so we’re not going to question him about any decision he makes as far as contracts,” Saffold added. “We’re just happy to have him back in the building, because we feel like we have something special here.”