Aaron Donald: I keep telling people, I get better with age

Aaron Donald: I keep telling people, I get better with age

While Aaron Donald was contemplating retirement after winning Super Bowl LVI, Rams head coach Sean McVay confirmed last week that the star defensive tackle will be back for a ninth season in 2022.

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Aaron Donald: I keep telling people, I get better with age​

During a recent appearance on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast, Donald said he feels like he’s still improving.

“Yeah, I’m faster,” Donald said. “I was just with my guy Wednesday training and I always ask after I work, ‘What do you think?’ And he [said] back, ‘You’ve got about three, five more years in you with how you’re moving.’ So, I feel good, I really do feel good. I feel quick, I feel explosive.

“I don’t feel like I’m slowing down — if anything I feel like I’m getting faster. I feel like I’m in better shape. I keep telling people, I get better with age, man. I don’t slow down. I just feel like I’m getting that much stronger. I look better with age and all that.”

Donald, who turns 31 next month, was named a first-team All-Pro for the seventh consecutive season in 2021. He recorded 12.5 sacks, 19 tackles for loss, 25 quarterback hits, and four forced fumbles in the regular season. Then he added 3.5 sacks, four tackles for loss, and nine QB hits in four postseason games.

The Rams have said they’re working on a new contract for Donald, as he’s outplayed the last deal he signed just before the start of the 2018 season.

 

[CGI_Ram]

You’ve got about three [to five more years in you with how you’re moving]

That’s an interesting number to toss out there…

 

[jap]

That’s an interesting number to toss out there…

I guess that means we need to get 3-5 more Super Bowl wins before AD99 retires for good.

 

[Merlin]

What matters is McVay. AD isn't gonna quit when McVay's running this show because he wants more rings. But I do think at some point he's going to want to go to Pittsburgh prior to hanging them up. Hope not, as I'd prefer he does the Merlin Olsen/Jackie Slater thing by retiring as a Ram. But I figure that will happen eventually and whatever, just get some more rings the next couple years and we'll be all fat and entitled as fans and capable of wishing him well without the hate.

 

[Loyal]

What matters is McVay. AD isn't gonna quit when McVay's running this show because he wants more rings. But I do think at some point he's going to want to go to Pittsburgh prior to hanging them up. Hope not, as I'd prefer he does the Merlin Olsen/Jackie Slater thing by retiring as a Ram. But I figure that will happen eventually and whatever, just get some more rings the next couple years and we'll be all fat and entitled as fans and capable of wishing him well without the hate.

We will?

 

[Loyal]

I saw a Rich Eisen interview with Warren Sapp after the Super Bowl where he said AD is better than him and that right now he's one of the best six (or seven), sure fire first ballot HOFers in history. If memory serves he listed Randy White, Joe Green, Bob Lilly, Merlin Olsen, himself, and some other Cowboy, and now Aaron Donald...."And Johnny Randall backs us up...."

He also answered that Yes, he could see AD retiring at 30 yrs old. "Look at the resume: 7 All Pros, 3 DPOYs, a Super Bowl Champion. He doesn't have to prove anything else to anyone."

"Why?" said Eisen. "He looks like an Adonis."

"He does, doesn't he?" replied Sapp. But then went on to say what we all know, that as you age, you start to feel all of those hits, aches and pains. "I've got a new hip and I'm having fun," Sapp said after only few more years than AD in his total career. Sapp also said that almost all DT's when they reach 30 years old, never get more than 10 sacks a year afterwards. "There's maybe 10-15 of us that have done it"
I think AD will be another, but I think this extension is his last one before retirement.

 

[brucebruce]

"I keep telling people, I get better with age"

I'd say the same thing when negotiating a contract when clearly age is a negative on my side.

 

[dang]

I saw a Rich Eisen interview with Warren Sapp after the Super Bowl where he said AD is better than him and that right now he's one of the best six (or seven), sure fire first ballot HOFers in history. If memory serves he listed Randy White, Joe Green, Bob Lilly, Merlin Olsen, himself, and some other Cowboy, and now Aaron Donald...."And Johnny Randall backs us up...."

He also answered that Yes, he could see AD retiring at 30 yrs old. "Look at the resume: 7 All Pros, 3 DPOYs, a Super Bowl Champion. He doesn't have to prove anything else to anyone."

"Why?" said Eisen. "He looks like an Adonis."

"He does, doesn't he?" replied Sapp. But then went on to say what we all know, that as you age, you start to feel all of those hits, aches and pains. "I've got a new hip and I'm having fun," Sapp said after only few more years than AD in his total career. Sapp also said that almost all DT's when they reach 30 years old, never get more than 10 sacks a year afterwards. "There's maybe 10-15 of us that have done it"
I think AD will be another, but I think this extension is his last one before retirement.

Sorry but as a DT Donald is in a class all by himself. Sapp was dominant but he was not Donald. I’d put Donald and LT as the 2 best NFL defensive players of all time.

 

[Loyal]

Sorry but as a DT Donald is in a class all by himself. Sapp was dominant but he was not Donald. I’d put Donald and LT as the 2 best NFL defensive players of all time.

Sapp was talking about the greatest defensive tackles of all time and he did say that AD was better than him. Those guys listed were first ballot HOFers in no particular order