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Inside: What will Donald bring to the Rams? Plus: The 49ers lose another receiver (this time to the FBI).
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Aaron Donald returns to L.A.
The weekend’s top headline: The Titans cut quarterback Will Levis, a Hellmann’s mayonnaise partner and former second-round pick … who is of course not the real headliner.
It’s all about Aaron Donald. His return felt both impossible and inevitable, as my colleague Jourdan Rodrigue put it. The Rams have now added their second future Hall of Fame defensive lineman of the offseason, with Donald and Myles Garrett both among the eight active players in the 100-sack club.
The question is whether the 35-year-old Donald is still the game-changing force who finished his last season (2023) as PFF’s No. 2 defensive tackle.
The Rams should be optimistic. Defensive tackles are aging better than ever. If there’s any defensive position at which you should bet on a player of Donald’s age, it’s tackle. At 36, Cameron Heyward just had a second-team All-Pro season, after all.
“It’s going to be hard at 35 to keep up with receivers just coming into the league,” said Bengals DT Jonathan Allen. “As a defensive tackle, you can play in the league at a high level a lot longer.”
Allen, 31, cited strength, flexibility, knowledge and pre-snap awareness as keys to longevity at the position. So the things that already made Donald special are also the exact things he’ll need going forward?
If I were a member of the Jets organization, I’d check Donald’s most recent “Madden” ratings for strength, awareness and play recognition. All were 99s. This Super Bowl clip is a good reminder:
There is little reason to expect the three-time DPOY to have lost too much of a step. He could even be just as good as his 2023 All-Pro season. Scary.
He’s back on a one-year, $20 million deal, thanks to some cap shuffling. GM Les Snead had time to ready the paperwork, as Jourdan explained:
💬 “Donald has been preparing behind the scenes for a return for months, working out at the Rams’ facility and staying in close communication with head coach Sean McVay (who in turn has not been able to keep much of a poker face about the whole thing).
💬 “Donald has been preparing behind the scenes for a return for months, working out at the Rams’ facility and staying in close communication with head coach Sean McVay (who in turn has not been able to keep much of a poker face about the whole thing).
Because of both that unpredictability and Garrett’s addition, it might be harder than ever to stop Donald. Yes, everyone in the NFL should be doing their best impression of Geno Smith. Speaking of impressions …
49ers receiver woes continue
The Rams’ roster fortunes haven’t translated to the division-rival 49ers, especially at receiver.
Brandon Aiyuk is a 49er in name only. Third-year receiver Ricky Pearsall is gone for the season. And now, Daejon Love was arrested by the FBI.
Daejon Love? Who? To be clear, he was never a member of the team. That didn’t stop the 35-year-old from posing as one, part of a scheme to defraud dozens of women out of more than $1.3 million.
Per the affidavit, he allegedly spent over $1,160 for a custom Niners helmet, then wore it while running routes on the beach. The videos are wild.
It’s sad that people lost money. It’s good that the FBI caught him. It’s also telling that the top comment is: “A perfectly healthy guy claiming to be a 49ers receiver should have instantly raised a red flag.” More details here.
Preseason risers and fallers
Every Monday, we check in on how players, coaches and teams are trending across the NFL. It’s usually bad for Jets fans. Today, it’s not. Here’s how The Athletic’s writers feel about 2026’s top five draft picks after preseason:
📈 No. 1 Fernando Mendoza. Yes, the Heisman winner has thrown preseason interceptions. Yes, Kirk Cousins should start for now. But Ted Nguyen thinks Mendoza is ready, as noted in a preseason weekend takeaways column:
“Mendoza’s final preseason stat line wasn’t pretty, but he’s ahead of where I thought he’d be. He is comfortable under center, and his footwork and ability to get through multiple reads have looked smooth.”
📈 No. 2 David Bailey. “There’s a legitimate case to be made that no Jets defender, veterans included, has looked better in training camp than Bailey,” wrote Zack Rosenblatt, adding that Bailey flashed against the run. “I’ve covered the Jets now for five seasons and the NFL for nearly 10, and I’m not sure I’ve seen a rookie take over a training camp in the way Bailey has.”
And the Stanford/Texas Tech product isn’t just disrupting his new teammates. His first sack might’ve cost Broderick Jones his Steelers career.
📉 No. 3 Jeremiyah Love. The Notre Dame back looks the part of a future superstar for Arizona, rushing for 58 yards on 11 carries in his debut against the Raiders (remember that spin move?!). The high ankle sprain that has sidelined him since could linger, though.
📉 No. 4 Carnell Tate. The Titans receiver didn’t record a catch during the preseason despite playing seven total drives. Watch his six targets yourself. You’d like to see better quarterback play from Cam Ward and more separation from Tate. Practice reports were positive, at least.
Another Buckeye:
📈 No. 5 Arvell Reese. A Micah Parsons type who is taking most of his snaps at inside linebacker, Reese will “be starting from the get-go and should immediately help the Giants improve again the run,” notes Charlotte Carroll. About time. Big Blue has allowed the NFL’s most rush yards per attempt since 2021.
Extra Points
👀 Keep an eye on. The list of the NFL’s top waiver-wire options starts with two nickelbacks, former Bengal Bralyn Lux and former Eagle Kapena Gushiken. Both should find homes soon, as should former Cardinals tackle Christian Jones.
⏰ J.J. McCarthy was not cut by the Vikings, joining Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer behind starter Kyler Murray. Minnesota’s final 53 has as many quarterbacks as edge rushers.
💼 The commissioner’s exempt list allows for Roger Goodell to withhold players from practices and games. Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs and Denver edge Jonathon Cooper were added yesterday. Suspensions coming?
▶️ Most-clicked: Dillon Gabriel’s three first-half touchdowns in the Browns’ final preseason game. Cleveland hope! Then he was placed on the IR yesterday with a back injury. Sigh. At least it’s not expected to be long-term.
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