By Ian Ransom
MELBOURNE, Sept 7 (Reuters) – Aaron Donald’s retirement in 2024 sparked cheers at the San Francisco 49ers but his return to the LA Rams had the opposite reaction, coach Kyle Shanahan said on Monday.
Three-time Defensive Player of the Year Donald will travel with the Rams for their season-opener against the 49ers in Melbourne on Friday, less than two weeks after announcing his return from two years out of the game.
It is not clear whether the 35-year-old defensive tackle will take the field at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the NFL’s first regular season game in Australia.
Shanahan expects him to play.
“Remember when he retired? I didn’t see the alerts and stuff, but I heard people yelling down the hallway, cheering,” Shanahan told reporters at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, the 49ers’ training base.
“It was like, ‘What the hell’s going on?’ And then I got it on my phone, and it was probably the most we’ve celebrated in the off-season ever.
“And then it was the exact opposite this year.”
The 49ers and Rams are in the NFC West division and meet twice each season. Donald was a constant thorn in San Francisco’s side, compiling 12.5 sacks in 18 career regular season games against them.
His comeback has added depth to a formidable Rams defensive unit following the arrival of two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns.
San Francisco linebacker Fred Warner said his team would have their hands full trying to quell “one of the greatest of all time” if Donald takes the field.
“They were already a stacked team to begin with, but to have Aaron back, you know, makes them even that much better of a football team,” Warner told reporters.
“It’s our job to put the right plan together to make sure we’re not letting them wreck the game.”
(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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