Aaron Donald Looked Like Aaron Donald Again

Aaron Donald stepped onto the SoFi Stadium turf as a Rams player again Monday night. One series in, he still had it. On third-and-2 late in the second quarter, he shed his blocker and dropped Giants running back Najee Harris for a 3-yard loss at the Los Angeles 3-yard line. The Giants had reached it after recovering a fumble at the Rams' 11, and the stop held them to a 24-yard field goal instead of a touchdown, making it 14-3. Donald finished with three tackles in his 2026 debut. The Rams beat the Giants 28-6.

Donald had not played a snap since the end of the 2023 season. He sat out 2024 and 2025 in retirement. The Rams' trade for fellow two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett got him thinking about a comeback. He signed a one-year deal worth $20 million, with incentives that could reach $30 million, on August 30. He missed Week 1 against San Francisco to keep conditioning, then made his season debut at SoFi Stadium, at 35 years old.

"Felt good to get that first game under my belt in two years," Donald said. "And it feels good we got a win."

Matthew Stafford felt it too. "He came running out of the tunnel, and I couldn't control myself," Stafford said. "I was so fired up." Stafford went out and threw for 327 yards on 22-of-31 passing with four touchdowns. His only mistake was an interception by Giants safety Jevón Holland on a deep ball meant for Davante Adams.

Adams did not need many more chances. He caught eight passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns, the fourth-highest single-game total of his 13-year career. Terrance Ferguson added a touchdown of his own, part of a 54-yard night on six catches. Los Angeles led 14-0 by the second quarter, improving to 1-1 after an opening-week loss to San Francisco.

New York's night went wrong in the first quarter. Quarterback Jaxson Dart was hit while throwing on third down with 11:20 left and left the game with a knee injury. He was listed as questionable to return, then ruled out at halftime. Jameis Winston took over and finished 11 of 27 for 111 yards. His interception, in the second quarter, went to Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie in the end zone. It was McDuffie's first interception as a Ram and came with a career-high four passes defensed. The Giants converted just 3 of 14 third downs and scored on neither of their two trips inside the red zone. They fell to 1-1.

Donald's snap count will grow from here. Monday night's only question was whether he could still find the football when it mattered. At the Rams' 3-yard line, on third-and-2, he did.