Donald retiring after 10-year run
LOS ANGELES >> Aaron Donald spent 10 years flattening quarterbacks, crushing ball-carriers, fighting through perpetual double-teams and generally wrecking NFL offenses. He was relentless, reliable and infinitely resourceful while he led the Los Angeles Rams all the way to a Super Bowl championship.
And on Friday, Donald decided a decade of dominance was enough.
The most accomplished defensive lineman of his generation has retired after a stellar 10-year career.
The three-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year made his somewhat surprising announcement on social media. He doesn’t plan to have a retirement news conference or any public farewell, but his impact on the Rams and the NFL is already indelible.
The 32-year-old Donald spent his entire career with the Rams, who drafted him in the first round in 2014 out of Pitt. The Pittsburgh native was selected for 10 Pro Bowls and eight All-pro first teams, and he won the award as the league’s top defensive player in 2017, 2018 and 2020.
RAMS SIGN QB GAROPPOLO, SAFETY CURL>> Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has signed with the Los Angeles Rams as the backup to Matthew Stafford. Safety Kamren Curl also agreed to terms on a two-year contract with the Rams. Garoppolo was released Wednesday by the Las Vegas Raiders after one disappointing season. He is best known to Rams fans from his years with the archrival San Francisco
49ers, during which he went 8-0 as a starter against Los Angeles.
BROWNS HIRE VRABEL AS ANALYST AND PERSONAL CONSULTANT>> Mike Vrabel will be working in the NFL after all this fall. The former Tennessee Titans head coach, fired in January after consecutive losing seasons, landed as an analyst and personnel consultant for the Cleveland Browns.
The 48-year-old Vrabel developed a solid relationship with Browns coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry in recent years. He even helped them scout players two weeks ago at the NFL combine in Indianapolis.
PANTHERS SIGN FULLER>> The Carolina Panthers have added free agent safety Jordan Fuller to their new-look secondary. The 26-year-old Fuller spent his first four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, including some time with current Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero as his position coach.
A sixth-round pick in 2020, Fuller started all 17 games last season and had 94 tackles and three interceptions.
BEARS SIGN WR PETTIS TO 1-YEAR DEAL>> The Chicago Bears have signed wide receiver Dante Pettis to a one-year contract. The sixyear veteran played for the Bears in 2022 and then resigned for last season but was placed on injured reserve in August.
Pettis had 19 receptions for 245 yards and three touchdowns, including two for more than 40 yards in 2022.