Arguably the biggest storyline of this past offseason for the Los Angeles Rams was the retirement of superstar defensive lineman Aaron Donald, who may very well go down as the greatest defensive player of all time when all is said and done. Donald won a championship with the Rams in the 2021-22 season, and although the team hasn't been able to reach those heights since, it still signaled that their all-in movement of trading draft picks and young players was well worth it.
One of those younger players that the Rams moved along the way was none other than quarterback Jared Goff, who was traded for former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford prior to that Super Bowl winning season.
Recently, Donald broke down what he believed to be the front office's thought process when deciding to give up on their younger quarterback, per the 25/10 Show.
“Not saying that Jared Goff wasn’t that guy. I think he was just younger and they weren’t willing to wait for the development process with him,” said Donald. “They were more trying to win now. I think adding a veteran guy that had been around a long time, that had played with some great football players, played some great football a long time, bring him to a team with the pieces to get it done. That was a big help for us.”
Donald went on to explain why he is happy for Goff and his success with the Lions.
“Everything happened for a reason,” said Donald. “I think Jared Goff is in a great position right now where he’s playing some good football, becoming that veteran presence, becoming that household name, getting his team where it needs to be.”
Indeed, Goff has helped lead a resurgence within the Lions franchise over the last two years, guiding the team to within striking distance of the Super Bowl a season ago.
A historic legacy
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As previously mentioned, Aaron Donald is without question one of the two or three greatest defensive players ever to step on the field, with many arguing that he is number one.
Donald was a key member of that 2021-22 Rams team that bulldozed through the NFC competition and then was able to knock off the Cincinnati Bengals in thrilling fashion during that year's Super Bowl, which was played in their very own home of SoFi Stadium.
While there are plenty of questions that need addressing for the Rams this season, the biggest will undoubtedly be how they try to replicate Donald's historic production.
