Aaron Donald’s comeback decision looms as Rams continue workouts

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams returned to the practice field Monday in Woodland Hills with the start of the regular season drawing closer, but one of the biggest storylines surrounding the team involved a player who wasn't officially on the roster.

Former Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald continued to explore a possible return to the NFL by going through another workout Sunday at the team's facility, a development head coach Sean McVay described as simply another step in Donald's process of deciding whether he wants to play again.

"That's what it was, just a workout," McVay said Monday. "I'm not trying to be coy with it. It's semantical. It's part of his process that he's gone through."

McVay said Rams personnel were present because Donald used the team's facility and equipment, but cautioned against reading too much into the workout. The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year has been attempting to recreate football situations as closely as possible before determining whether he wants to make a comeback.

"There are a lot of things that you try to mimic and emulate game-like settings and situations to be able to get clarity on whether he wants to do this or not," McVay said. "That was just another part of this process."

While Donald's potential return remains unresolved, the Rams are also trying to get several key players healthy as training camp moves toward its final stages. McVay said wide receiver Puka Nacua and defensive end Myles Garrett could potentially return to practice next week, although the Rams won't rush either player back.

"Puka is doing good," McVay said. "Whether or not we wait for next week or not, we're just taking it a day at a time. And then [with] Myles we'll see, probably next week is when we think we'll get those guys back."

McVay emphasized that the Rams are looking for a "return to performance, not just return to play" with both players. He said Nacua still has some soreness while Garrett has been moving around before practice. Offensive lineman Keagen Trost and wide receiver Mario Williams are expected to miss a few weeks with hamstring injuries.

Monday's practice also gave the Rams another opportunity to build off their preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday. After reviewing the film, McVay said he was particularly pleased with the team's style of play and the way younger players took advantage of extended opportunities.

Wide receiver Xavier Smith was among the players who stood out. McVay pointed to Smith's work as both a receiver and punt returner, including a return he considered a turning point in the game. Safety Nick Andersen was another player McVay said consistently flashed on film.

"I thought a lot of guys did a good job," McVay said. "I was more proud of the style of play. I thought the guys executed with a limited inventory, both defensively and offensively, and you know what? I was proud of the way that they celebrated each other."

Smith's performance carried additional significance after the way last season ended for him. McVay praised the receiver's resilience and ability to respond to adversity throughout the offseason.

"What I saw the other day was a mentally resilient individual that, in the first live game action, didn't blink, didn't flinch, did a great job with his decision making," McVay said. "He looked like a stud so I was happy for him."

The Rams also came away encouraged by rookie quarterback Ty Simpson, who received significant playing time against Kansas City. McVay said Simpson and Stetson Bennett IV both did a good job of taking what the defense gave them and operating within the structure of the offense.

McVay specifically praised Simpson for displaying the traits quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone has emphasized throughout camp.

"He did a good job of exactly what Dave Ragone is coaching him with — decision, timing, accuracy, playing each play as its own separate entity," McVay said. "I thought the same for Stetson as well even though it was a smaller sample size."

Several young pass rushers also caught McVay's attention. Keir Thomas II and Desjuan Johnson made their presence felt against Kansas City, while Darryl Peterson III and Wes Bailey also performed well. McVay said Josaiah Stewart has taken "tremendous strides" and hopes to get him back on the field when healthy.

Those players are developing in a position group that now has Garrett as another veteran resource alongside Byron Young.

"They got some great guys to be able to learn from with 'B.Y.' [Byron Young], obviously Myles and his mentorship here," McVay said.

The Rams also expect Tomon Fox to get more action against the New Orleans Saints this week after he dealt with a family matter.

Los Angeles added another player to the roster by signing Australian punter Jack Bouwmeester. McVay said the move allows the Rams to take advantage of the NFL's international practice player exemption, which provides an additional practice squad spot.

The Rams' attention now turns toward New Orleans, with practices this week helping McVay determine how he will handle Saturday's preseason game against the Saints.

McVay hasn't decided whether the quarterback rotation will mirror the preseason opener, saying the decision will depend largely on Tuesday's practice and the joint practice with New Orleans on Thursday.

"I'm hopeful that we're able to get as many reps as we did against Dallas," McVay said. "Hopefully they come out of that thing healthy and we're able to get what [Saints coach] Kellen [Moore] and I have talked about as the workload for our ones and twos."

For McVay, the approach remains the same one he has preached throughout training camp: don't get too far ahead and concentrate on stacking productive days.

"We ask our players to stack days, be totally and completely present," McVay said. "I have not made that decision yet and genuinely that is the truth."