Following months of speculation, the Los Angeles Rams finally agreed to a lucrative six-year, $135 million extension with star defensive tackle Aaron Donald this past week.

Article Continues Below

This has put forth a high level of excitement within the franchise that Donald is back in the fold, which is something that Pro Bowl running back Todd Gurley expressed his excitement that the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year is once again with the team now that his contract situation is all sorted out, according to Myles Simmons of TheRams.com.

“I was just super excited to just see him in the building and just have him back,” Gurley said. “I knew he was going to come back but just didn't know when. Just to see all that ‘pay that man' stuff, and just to see everything work out in his favor — I was super excited for him.”

The return of Donald now gives the Rams their anchor on that side of the ball as he has proven to arguably be the best defensive player in the league over his first four years in the league. During that span, he has earned four straight Pro Bowl selections, three First-Team All-Pro nods, and an NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. He has also tallied 39.0 sacks over that span, which is the most in the league for a defensive tackle since he entered the NFL.

It is a significant amount of money that the Rams locked up to Donald, but he has more than proven his worth on the field with his ability to single-handedly impact the game with his play. This combined with the presence of Ndamukong Suh could give the Rams the best duo up the middle of the defensive line in the league.

All of this now shifts the attention back to the field where Donald will be a key part in helping the Rams reach the playoffs once again and possibly make a deep run to the Super Bowl.