The initial news of Aaron Donald's retirement first emerged after the Los Angeles Rams' Super Bowl win. But after seemingly being put to bed with reports that a return was imminent, it appears that hanging it up is still a very real possibility.

Back in March, Rams head coach Sean McVay issued a statement that sure sounded like Aaron Donald was going to be back in the fold. McVay, who had his own career shift rumors circling him, claimed that he was relieved Donald made the decision not to retire.

Nearly two months later, Aaron Donald and the Rams have yet to put pen to paper on a new extension. According to a report from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, until a deal is consummated, retirement is still a very real option for the Rams' All-Pro defensive tackle.

Keep in mind that the retirement buzz around Donald — first delivered by NBC's Rodney Harrison on the Super Bowl pregame broadcast — was always real. And it's my understanding that Donald has a number he will play for. If it's not met, retirement can still go down.

Aaron Donald signed his current contract back in 2018, which made him the highest-paid defensive player of all-time at the time with an average annual salary of around 22.5 million over six years.

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But that value has far been exceeded by some of his peers, most recently by T.J. Watt's gargantuan deal with the Arizona Cardinals last offseason valued at a shade over $28 million AAV.

While the Los Angeles Rams got standout seasons from guys like wide receiver Cooper Cupp and quarterback Matthew Stafford, it was Aaron Donald who was the heart and soul of the team. A Super Bowl title defense will be a much more arduous quest without him striking fear into the minds of opposing offensive linemen.