While San Francisco 49ers fans have been fairly despondent ever since it was announced that Aaron Donald would be coming out of retirement to rejoin the Los Angeles Rams, the latest news is that he will not play in Week 1 against the Niners in Australia.
The natural impulse for Niners fans is to be heartened by this news, but is it irrational to think that they might have actually benefited from Aaron Donald playing?
Probably, but let’s dive into this for a second to see if the Donald news could actually be a bad thing for the Niners.
49ers may have been better off facing Aaron Donald in Week 1
Obviously, Donald was one of the most elite players in the NFL during his first stint in the league. He will absolutely be in the Hall of Fame someday, and he was a player the Niners always had to account for and try to deal with whenever they played the Rams.
However, he hasn’t played in an NFL game since January of 2024. He is now 35 years old. Going a year and a half without playing in the NFL could have the benefit of allowing his body to heal after so many years of intense physicality, but the fact he’s gone so long without feeling that intensity and violence could've meant he would’ve been a little bit on his back foot, had he suited up for Week 1.
The Niners do have question marks on the offensive line, especially at left guard. They will probably have to go with two young, unproven options in Connor Colby and Carver Willis, which seemed like a nightmare matchup if they had to take on Donald.
It may have been, but there’s a chance they would have gone up against a Donald that was only 50 percent of the behemoth he was the last time he played. Perhaps it would have been like when Marshawn Lynch came out of retirement to suit up for the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17 back in 2019 against San Francisco. He wasn't all that effective as he ran the ball 12 times for 34 yards and a touchdown, a far cry from the "Beast Mode" of old.
Donald is clearly still in shape, but there’s a difference between being “in shape” and “in football shape.” No matter what Puka Nacua says about eating McDonald’s, players have to truly be fit if they want to be effective out there. That means being ready to go at full intensity.
Donald is not there yet, which is why the Rams are keeping him out of the contest. That's probably a smart move. They need him healthy and closer to where he was at his prime come playoff time, so rushing him back for Week 1 wouldn’t be a good move.
From San Francisco’s perspective, this seems like a positive, but we will never know the truth. Would Donald have come out and looked like his old self without missing a beat? It’s possible, but it’s just as likely that he would have looked rusty, ineffective, and run out of gas during the game, too.
At least he won’t be able to shut the 49ers down or give them headaches, but seeing Donald struggle would’ve been a pleasant sight and might have given San Francisco an advantage.
Add us as a preferred source on Google