Legendary Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald announced his retirement this past Friday, but he knew he’d be stepping away from football long before that.
While speaking to Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer, Rams head coach Sean McVay revealed what Donald told him the day after the team’s loss to the Detroit Lions in the NFC Wild Card Round on Jan. 14.
“I’m full,” Donald told McVay, indicating his immaculate playing career would be coming to an end.
“I’m just like, ‘And you should be. You have every right to feel that way,'” McVay told Breer. “What an amazing thing. The words won’t do justice to the way that he so eloquently articulated it to me and just put it in a way that, as a human being, all you’re really looking for is to be at peace and to be happy. He was full. And, man, did you feel that. You’re just so happy because he earned it too.”
McVay went on to add that he realized the emotions of the end of the season could have been fueling Donald’s message, but he believes everything played out the way it should have.
“I think those conversations occur at the appropriate time,” McVay said. “There’s so much emotion that takes place right after a game and after a season that I think. … And even I was reading earlier, you see Jason Kelce, there’s all these assumptions and things like that and so I think you give guys the chance to really just digest the season, coaches and players alike, and then we’ll address all those things at the right time.”
Donald ended his 10-year career as a 10-time Pro Bowler, three-time Defensive Player of the Year and one-time Super Bowl champion. He undoubtedly will be receiving a call to the Hall of Fame as soon as he’s eligible.
