Aaron Donald’s wife Erica. Image via: Amy Sussman/ Getty Images
The signing closed out months of speculation that started the day Los Angeles landed Myles Garrett, and it wrapped up with a contract, a viral tweet, and a fanbase that hasn’t stopped talking about what Erica said next. Here’s how it all played out, from the early rumors to Sunday’s announcement.
Rams bring back a three-time Defensive Player of the Year on a one-year deal
The story goes back to June 1, when the Rams pulled off a blockbuster trade for defensive end Myles Garrett. 5, a day after Donald worked out at the team facility, she added: “Yall gotta start getting this stuff right. Donald is returning on a one-year, $20 million deal that can climb to $30 million with playoff incentives, teaming up with Garrett, himself a two-time Defensive Player of the Year. Donald retired in March 2024 after ten NFL seasons. He’s an eight-time first-team All-Pro, a ten-time Pro Bowler, and the 2014 Defensive Rookie of the Year, drafted 13th overall by the then-St.
The very next day, ESPN’s Pat McAfee said on his show that he’d talked to Donald, and the trade had gotten the three-time Defensive Player of the Year thinking about a comeback. Erica marked the actual announcement with the line everyone had been waiting for, posting on X: “I let him out the house y’all,” followed by laughing, blue heart, and heart hands emojis. That pairing makes the Rams the first team to enter a season with multiple players holding multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards, according to ESPN Research. Head coach Sean McVay had said earlier this month that Donald “earned the right” to take his time on the decision.
Reports of a possible return followed almost immediately. Former Rams teammate Jalen Ramsey, now with the Steelers, called her “the real MVP. Rams fans pounced, half-joking and half-pleading, asking her to let Donald come back. She stayed cryptic through the summer, and on Aug. Nearly three months after that first tweet, the Rams made it official. Louis Rams.