Here's an odd question. Didn't they "pay" dead money hits for Aaron Donald retiring? Did he get any of that money for which they paid a dead hit??
Sorry, odd questionS.
Shouldn't they be able to recoup dead money from those hits in some form, if he received the money??
Not from him of course but from the NFL. Seems a lot like double jeopardy!!!
After all, look what the Rams would be doing for the NFL if they were able to bring back Donald!!!!!!
It's confusing. AI copy-and-paste is hard with each different reference, It sounds like the Rams got some cap relief with the June 1 retirement but are still obligated for the $30 million, which can be renegotiated.
AI Overview
No, the
Los Angeles Rams did not pocket or "get" that $30 million. When Aaron Donald retired after the 2023 season, he still had one final $30 million year left on the three-year, $95 million extension he signed in 2022. [
1,
2,
3]
Contract Status & Salary Cap Impact
- The Rights Remain: Because he retired before the contract finished, that $30 million obligation and his player rights technically stayed tied to the Rams. [1]
- The Cap vs. Cash Difference: The salary cap side (dead money/prorated bonuses) is already accounted for by the team’s accounting. However, if Donald ever decides to unretire and play, that $30 million base salary triggers back as a cash and cap obligation unless both sides negotiate a new, altered agreement. [1, 2]
The Rams actually did everything possible to minimize the financial impact. They managed the contract exactly as NFL rules dictate. A team cannot unilaterally erase a player's contract or force a total forfeiture without specific contractual triggers, but the Rams minimized the damage through strategic moves: [
1,
2,
3,
4]
1. The Pre-Retirement Restructuring
Right before Donald officially announced his retirement, the Rams restructured his contract. They converted his roster bonus into a signing bonus and shifted other salaries. [
1,
2,
3]
- The Result: This cleared up $9.2 million in immediate cap space for the team to use on other players.
- Spreading the Dead Money: By using a Post-June 1st retirement
- The Rams actually did everything possible to minimize the financial impact. They managed the contract exactly as NFL rules dictate. A team cannot unilaterally erase a player's contract or force a total forfeiture without specific contractual triggers, but the Rams minimized the damage through strategic moves: [1, 2, 3, 4]
1. The Pre-Retirement Restructuring
Right before Donald officially announced his retirement, the Rams restructured his contract. They converted his roster bonus into a signing bonus and shifted other salaries. [1, 2, 3]
- retirement designation, the Rams were able to spread his remaining unamortized signing bonus debt across multiple seasons instead of taking one massive, devastating hit all at once
2. Contract "Tolling" is Mandatory
The Rams could not close the contract completely because of the NFL's
"tolling" rule. When an NFL player retires before his contract expires, the contract freezes in time. [
1,
2]
- The team keeps the player's rights so he cannot just "retire" for a week and then sign with a rival team like the San Francisco 49ers.
- Because Donald walked away from the final year of his deal, that $30 million obligation sits in limbo. It costs the Rams nothing while he is retired, but it naturally reactivates if he returns. [1, 2, 3, 4]
3. There are No Guarantees Left
Because of the way the Rams structured the payouts,
all guarantees on Donald’s contract have already been paid out. Even though the contract remains technically open, the Rams do not owe him a single dime of that $30 million unless he steps back onto the field. [
1,
2]
How the Open Contract Impacts a Return
With rumors swirling about Donald potentially unretiring to play alongside the newly acquired
Myles Garrett, the open contract is actually a tool for negotiation: [
1,
2]
- The Rework: Because the remaining $30 million contains no guarantees, sports analysts note it is highly unlikely Donald would play under those exact terms. [1]
- The Solution: If he officially comes back, the Rams and Donald are expected to tear up or heavily renegotiate the remaining frozen year to fit it comfortably under their current cap space. [1, 2]
