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Aaron Donald returns to Rams practice after one day, Myles Garrett sits out with knee injury

Aaron Donald returned to the Los Angeles Rams' facility after more than two years of retirement, only to spend his first day back in the weight room rather than on the practice field, with the team easing him back. Meanwhile, Myles Garrett, acquired in a blockbuster trade, watched from the sideline with a knee injury, as the Rams manage their veteran stars cautiously ahead of the 2026 NFL season.

By Tertius News AI Desk 2 distinct · 2 mastheads · 2 articles Version 1 Coverage Aug 31 – Sep 1, 2026 Published 1d ago

Aaron Donald Returns to Rams, Takes It Slow on First Day Back

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams welcomed back one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history this week, but fans eager to see Aaron Donald back on the field had to wait at least one more day. Donald, who ended his two-season retirement to rejoin the Rams for the 2026 season, was not on the practice field on August 31, as reported by the LA Times' Gary Klein, who noted on X that the Rams were “going through individual drills” without the three-time Defensive Player of the Year.

However, initial concerns about a setback were quickly allayed when The Athletic's Nate Atkins reported that Donald was simply working out in the weight room instead. "Aaron Donald is not practicing today. Just working out in the weight room," Atkins posted on X on August 31, providing some relief to Rams fans and coaches alike. The team appears to be taking a cautious approach with the 10-time Pro Bowler, who has not played since the 2023 season after announcing his retirement in 2024.

A New-Look Defense with Myles Garrett

Donald returns to a Rams defense that has undergone a massive transformation since he last suited up. Most notably, the team acquired star pass-rusher Myles Garrett in a blockbuster trade that cost them a first-round pick in 2027 and defensive standout Jared Verse. The addition of Garrett, the 2025 reigning Defensive Player of the Year, was reportedly a major factor in Donald's decision to return, with head coach Sean McVay reaching out to Donald during the trade talks.

Yet, the Donald-Garrett pairing was not on full display during Monday's practice. Atkins reported that Garrett was also absent from the field, sidelined with a knee injury. "No Myles Garrett (knee) either," Atkins said, suggesting that like Donald, the team might be easing Garrett back into action. The Rams have given no timeline for either player's full return to practice.

Managing the Roster

The Rams had other injury concerns to manage. Atkins noted that tight end Terrance Ferguson (soreness) and Grant Stuard were working off to the side, indicating they are also being handled with care. However, in more positive news, the team saw wide receiver Puka Nacua and defensive lineman Byron Young participate in practice.

The Rams are coming off a season where they finished with a 10-7 record and a wild-card round loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. With the acquisitions of Garrett and the return of Donald, the team is widely considered a Super Bowl favorite heading into the 2026 season. The duo's presence on the same defensive line is a quarterback's nightmare and a headline writer's dream.

Donald, who has not yet spoken to the media since returning, said in a team-issued statement upon his return, "I'm excited to be back with my teammates and the organization. We have a special group here, and I'm ready to do whatever it takes to win a championship."

As the Rams prepare for their season opener, the team is taking the long view. With a long season ahead and high expectations, managing the workload of their two star defenders appears to be the top priority. For now, the sight of Donald in the weight room is a welcome one for Rams fans, who hope this will lead to a March in which the team is still playing football.

How each outlet told it

A framing line is our reading of that outlet's own text — an interpretation, not a quotation and not a fact we assert. Check it against what the outlet published.

Heavy.

Framing: Highlights insider explanation for Aaron Donald's absence, connecting it to Myles Garrett news.

as of Sep 1, 2026, 12:46 AM UTC

Facts Included:

Aaron Donald is not on the practice field on August 31, per the LA Times' Gary Klein.
Klein posted: 'Rams going through individual drills. Aaron Donald not on the field.'
Donald has been in retirement for the past two seasons.
The Athletic's Nate Atkins posted: 'Aaron Donald is not practicing today. Just working out in the weight room.'
Myles Garrett is not practicing due to a knee injury.
Atkins noted: 'No Myles Garrett (knee) either.'
The Rams acquired Garrett with a first-round pick in 2027 and Jared Verse.
Atkins reported that 'Terrance Ferguson (soreness) and Grant Stuard are working off to the side,' and that 'Puka Nacua and Byron Young are practicing.'

Read the source article →

The Times of India

Framing: Excitement and anticipation

as of Aug 31, 2026, 6:46 PM UTC

Facts Included:

Aaron Donald is back and Myles Garrett could help turn the Los Angeles Rams into an NFL Super Bowl nightmare
Matthew Stafford’s touchdown talent won’t alone help the Rams reach the Super Bowl
It will be Aaron Donald coupled with Myles Garrett magic that will cast a spell of Super Bowl victory in the 2026 NFL season
After more than two years of retirement, Aaron Donald, the three-time DPOY, has decided to return to the Los Angeles Rams for the 2026 chapter
The franchise welcomed its legendary defensive tackle back with the perfect social-media callback
Donald is returning to a Rams team that looks drastically different from the one he left - most crucially because Los Angeles now has Myles Garrett
The 2025 reigning DPOY arrived in Los Angeles earlier this offseason
Sean McVay originally reached out to Donald for his thoughts while the team was considering the Garrett trade
Donald can potentially operate as a destructive veteran weapon alongside another generational pass rusher
Garrett brings his own elite portfolio and a petrifying physical presence
Donald has a Super Bowl ring and nothing left to prove
Donald’s interest in returning from retirement increased after the Rams acquired Garrett

Read the source article →

What was claimed, and who backed it

AI-extracted; can misattribute a claim — see Methodology.

Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status is Contested when two claims on this page negate each other; otherwise it counts the distinct outlets we found asserting that specific claim — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.

Claim	Confidence	Status
ClaimAaron Donald has decided to return to the Los Angeles Rams for the 2026 NFL season after more than two years of retirement.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Times of India as of Aug 31, 2026, 6:46 PM UTC
ClaimThe Rams welcomed Aaron Donald back with a social-media graphic that updated their 2024 'Quarterbacks Rejoice' post to read 'Quarterbacks Scramble.'	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via The Times of India as of Aug 31, 2026, 6:46 PM UTC
ClaimAaron Donald won three Defensive Player of the Year awards and finished his Rams career with 111.0 sacks.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Times of India as of Aug 31, 2026, 6:46 PM UTC
ClaimDonald earned eight first-team All-Pro selections during his career.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Times of India as of Aug 31, 2026, 6:46 PM UTC
ClaimAaron Donald retired in 2024.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Times of India as of Aug 31, 2026, 6:46 PM UTC
ClaimMyles Garrett was the 2025 reigning Defensive Player of the Year and arrived in Los Angeles earlier that offseason.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via The Times of India as of Aug 31, 2026, 6:46 PM UTC
ClaimRams head coach Sean McVay originally reached out to Aaron Donald to get his thoughts while the team was considering the Myles Garrett trade.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via The Times of India as of Aug 31, 2026, 6:46 PM UTC
ClaimAaron Donald finished his career with the Rams recording 110.0 sacks, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, and eight first-team All-Pro selections.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Times of India as of Aug 31, 2026, 6:46 PM UTC
ClaimAaron Donald previously won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Times of India as of Aug 31, 2026, 6:46 PM UTC
ClaimSuper Bowl LXI is scheduled to be played in the Los Angeles Rams' home stadium, SoFi Stadium.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via The Times of India as of Aug 31, 2026, 6:46 PM UTC
ClaimAaron Donald helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via The Times of India as of Aug 31, 2026, 6:46 PM UTC
ClaimAaron Donald's interest in returning to the Rams increased after the team acquired Myles Garrett.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via The Times of India as of Aug 31, 2026, 6:46 PM UTC

Transparency & Audit Trail

2 distinct · 2 mastheads · 2 articles consulted: Heavy., The Times of India 12 claims extracted Version 1 Written 2026-09-01