Overview
- Rams coach Sean McVay confirmed Tuesday that Aaron Donald will not travel to Melbourne and is ruled out for the Week 1 opener against the San Francisco 49ers.
- The team says the choice protects Donald’s availability for the full season by extending his conditioning work at home and avoiding a 16‑hour flight and rapid time‑zone change.
- With Donald unavailable, the Rams plan to lean on interior linemen Braden Fiske, Poona Ford and Kobie Turner and rely on Myles Garrett to lead the pass rush in Week 1.
- There is no firm debut date; multiple outlets report the Rams expect to ease Donald back with a limited snap package initially and expand his role based on how his body responds.
- Donald signed with the Rams on Aug. 30 after two seasons away, and his eventual pairing with Garrett reshapes Los Angeles’s defensive ceiling and how opponents prepare.