Aaron Donald has been called an athletic freak throughout his Hall of Fame NFL career, but the truth is, he was much more. Sure, Donald will beat you with the best first step the outside linebacker has ever seen, but he has a preternatural understanding of snap counts, cadence, and the offensive lineman’s conversations in the first few moments of the game that can make their lives hell for the rest of the 60-minute game.
All of those skills were back on Monday night in a shocking and mind-boggling performance, just like Donald’s on The Braves. Monday night football It shouldn’t be possible for someone who has been out of the league for two years. Any hopes that retirement would dampen Donald’s emotionality were quickly dashed, as he broke down interior coverage, rushed the quarterback and stopped before they could develop plays.
Donald’s box score may not look too impressive as he recorded a single tackle and two assists, but the devil is in the details. According to Summer Sports, Donald played 32 snaps and recorded an impressive 27.8% pass rush percentage. To put that into context, Will Anderson Jr. finished 2025 with a 26.2% winning percentage, while reigning Rookie of the Year (and Donald’s teammate) Myles Garrett won 24.6%.
If that wasn’t scary enough, it’s about to get even scarier, because there’s a noticeable difference between the win rates when it comes to wingers and inside linebackers. It’s generally easier to win on the outside, where even the absolute best pass rushers struggle against offensive tackles. in case A tight end at running back on a chip block. When a team decides to double up on a top defense, that means putting a guard and a center, which is obviously a tough fight.
That’s why Chris Jones led the NFL in DTs at 20% in 2025, while Jeffrey Simmons and Callas Campbell finished second at 15% each. So for Donald to agree after two years off and a 27.8% win rate simply defies belief.
Donald is terrific individually, but we haven’t seen his potential against the Rams yet. On Monday night we saw a lot of combined pass rushes with Donald deep into the interior, a Kam Curl coming off a safety snap. Imagine how this will play out when Myles Garrett becomes an extra pass rusher for his inside pressure? Here’s where the hype runs so deep around this Rams defense and why it gets worse against opposing teams.
There are certain things we are forced to believe, one of which is that no one should be able to get out of bed and walk into the NFL. Aaron Donald did that, he immediately returned as not only a great defender, but one of the best in the NFL. The buzz in Canton has been slow since his return, but it’s coming — and this year, Aaron Donald is going to prove that even more.