Aaron Donald made the Rams sweat a bit, but he got his money.
According to multiple reports, Donald, coming off the first Super Bowl win of his career, will sign a new deal that amounts to a $40 million raise.
Per NFL Network, Donald had three years and $55 million remaining on his previous contract. What the Rams did was add $40 million on top of that. They also guaranteed $65 million of the $95 million total in the first two years.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the structure is effectively a player option in the third year, which allows Donald to either retire in 2024, or return for $30 million guaranteed.
This makes Donald the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, with a yearly average salary of $31.67 million.
All of this came about because Donald, according to multiple reports, was seriously considering retirement, as he stated openly.
Instead, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and seven-time First Team All-Pro he returns to the Rams for another season. He will return with 98 career sacks and with five more, would enter the NFL’s top-50 sack leaders in history.