The Los Angeles Rams may not decide on Aaron Donald’s status for Week 1 until game time. Coach Sean McVay mentioned that he expects every player to travel to Australia, including Donald, who recently rejoined the team after two years in retirement.
The Rams are set to leave for Melbourne on Wednesday, arriving just before their game against the San Francisco 49ers next Thursday. McVay indicated that they are taking it “one day at a time” regarding Donald’s readiness.
Although Donald is currently on the 53-man roster, the team has a roster exemption for him that expires the day after their season opener, which means he won’t occupy a roster spot if he doesn’t play. He’s been ramping up his workload but hasn’t practiced fully, so the Rams might choose to hold him out for the opener and let him debut later.
Donald’s contract includes a structure that allows him to miss two games without impacting his bonuses, as he is set to receive $10 million in per-game bonuses for 15 games.
