Aaron Donald led the Los Angeles Rams to the mountain top. His victory in Super Bowl 56, in which he played well enough to be a candidate for the game's MVP award, put the cherry on top of a fantastic NFL career.
But even though he has plenty left in the tank, the 30-year-old has heavily considered retirement this offseason. A massive contract recently offered by the Rams may keep him around but the thoughts of him calling it a career was legitimate. Donald told Greg Bishop of Sports Illustrated, that his children are the reason why he is considering retirement from the NFL.
During a late-February phone interview, and for the first time publicly, Donald broached the true reason he is considering retirement. “I’m thinking about my kids, first, always,” he says. “People who know me understand why.”
Bishop writes that two of Donald's kids spend a lot of time in Pittsburgh, which is nearly on the completely opposite side of the country from Los Angeles. He said that his children mean everything to him and that his priority is always theirs.
“If my kids’ situation is not in order, my world is not in order. Honestly, it has always been about [them].”
There should be no qualms for Donald's thought process. He accomplished just about everything he could in eight seasons with the Rams, making him a surefire Hall of Famer. The desire to be with his children more is totally understandable. Whatever he decides, Donald will be revered by football fans everywhere.