Aaron Donald is back with the Rams on the richest contract for a non-quarterback in NFL history. And at least one of his counterparts wishes Los Angeles wouldn’t have paid up. Addressing reporters at the start of the 49ers‘ mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams joked that he would’ve preferred if Donald walked away from the game entirely.
“Yeah, I wish he would have retired,” Williams said, per NFL.com. “I mean, he deserves the contract, obviously we all know what he can do. I don’t know him on a personal level. I like competing against him; (he) brings out the best in all of us.”
Williams and Donald have been divisional rivals for two seasons, since the former was traded from Washington to San Francisco in 2020. But Williams has seen the longtime defensive lineman wreak havoc for Donald’s entire eight-year career. It’s no surprise, after all, that the Rams made him the highest-paid non-QB in league history this week. Donald already appears well on his way to a Hall of Fame nod despite playing for less than a decade, racking up 98 sacks, 150 tackles for loss and three Defensive Player of the Year honors during his title-winning tenure with L.A.
Personal to Williams, meanwhile, Donald also represents one of the primary reasons the Rams — not the 49ers — enter 2022 as favorites to win the NFC West. Donald had previously hinted at retirement this offseason, especially when he and the Rams entered organized team activities (OTAs) without a new deal following the club’s Super Bowl run in 2021.
