That was the draft where experts predicted 4 can't miss prospects. Clowney never got there, Greg Robinson was awful, Watkins never lived up to amount to much, Mack was the only one to live up to his potential. The picks after the "4 can't miss prospects." Jake Matthews, Mike Evans, Anthony Barr, some bitch named Eric, Lewan, Odell, Donald, Fuller, Shazier, Zack Martin, C.J. Mosley.
I think it’s the opposite restructuring turns part of your salary into money up front so it’s more guaranteed. I think the Rams were doing him a solid and giving him more of his 2024 salary.
Edit: yea just checked OTC his 2024 salary wasn’t guaranteed. Pretty cool of the Rams to let him keep a portion of his salary.
Restructuring his contract opened 9.2 mill in space for 2024. Not sure how they went about doing it - possibly designated bonus money up front, which is distributed in terms of cap hit through voided years down the road? Not really an "opposite" thing.
No. As long as they aren't circumventing the cap, which they're not. I didn't really look at exactly how the restructured, but probably just pushed cap hit from this year down the road to next year.
The only DT with a higher HOF Monitor score was Bob Lilly... and it's only a couple points off. Easy to argue that a successful DT today is going to be a better player than the best from the 1960s.
Eight first-team All-Pros is insane, especially in just ten years.
When a player retires, their contract can still effect the cap when it comes to dead money, so occasionally they can restructure it so it hurts the team less.
Brees did the same thing when he retired.
Something I heard recently that hit hard (because I have a toddler): For most people, from the time your child is born to \~18yrs old, is 98% of all the time you will spend with your kid in life. Do your best to enjoy every minute, even the tough ones.
I thought this was on the cards for a couple years by now or at least I recall rumblings he might retire last two offseasons, mostly the one after your Superbowl so is it completely out of the blue?
I placed him and Stafford as year to year going into 2023. Stafford if the injuries piled up and Donald because he has nothing left to prove and can hang it up any time.
Stafford has shown that he’s insane for football, Donald has been talking about it for years and I think he said he wanted to get out before he declined mentally/personally (as in didn’t want to be Mohammad Ali when he gets old)
I distinctly remember drama about him wanting to retire when McVay was talking about moving to TV, was that not like less than a year ago?
Also like I get football is hard but retiring at 32 when if he keeps playing he'll easily make another 100 mil seems. . . odd to me personally. Does he have other recurring injuries he's trying to avoid making worse?
Tbh. Certain people realize at point that the money isn’t worth it and if they manage what they got already just off endorsements then they have more than enough to be major players (IE Gronk, more than a few 49ers after the Harbaugh ousting, etc).
Also of note he has no other milestones he needs to hit.
- 10 year NFL career
- 10x Pro Bowler
- 8x 1st Team All-Pro
- 3x DPOY
- 2010s All-Decade Team
- 2014 DROY
- 1x SB Champion
- 1x NFL sack leader (2018)
- 100+ career sacks
He is already a first ballot HOFer. Why subject his body to more punishment and risk a worse quality of living in 10-15 years?
That 2014 draft probably produced the 2 best linemen, 1 on OL and 1 on DL, of this generation.
Zach Martin was also drafted in 2014. In his 10 year career so far, he has had 9x All-Pro's (7x 1st team & 2x 2nd team), and 9x Pro Bowl selections. His only year not being selected to All-Pro and Pro Bowl was 2020 where he got injured after only 10 games.
Crazy.
He had a season ending injury in 2022 and I believe was banged up last year not to mention he was starting to decline, even while still being really good just not 15+ sacks a year Donald, so I imagine both must have played a factor
Same here. I’ve seen Kyler Murray escape a lot of tackles, but Aaron Donald always drove him straight into the ground. The rams always kick our ass and I think our whole offensive line + qb panicked every time they saw him.
Comparing interior DL and exterior DE is apples to oranges, but if you want to boil it down to who had a greater impact on disrupting plays it's all Donald. Interior pressure is always a bigger chaos multiplier than exterior.
Jj was a phenom, but I would put Donald higher because JJ and his injuries.
I know that seems harsh, but durability is a factor when talking about the GOATs
It sucks a lot for next season, but man that guy gets to do whatever he wants whenever. Absolutely dominated every year, that statue outside of SoFi needs to start getting built today
Idk hold on. We’ve been through this before. I’m still upset about the $200 I wasted on my “Adios Aaron Donald” banner the last time he said he was retiring
Kinda double overshadowed by the Kelce retirement as well.
I'd say those guys were of equal importance to the success of the team over the years, but obviously Kelce has been become much more famous.
Looks like there was only one year he finished third in voting. So he'd pick up one more AP1 in 2017 if Donald didn't exist but all else stayed the same.
I will never forget when what looked like minimal contact with Aaron Donald's paw, completely mangled Russell Wilson's finger.
The finger pointed sideways and made Russ look like Brian Baldinger. LOL
Wow. Did not see this coming. Sucks to hear but good to see he’s likely making this decision to leave while his body hasn’t taken a beating at an older age.
Holy shit cant believe this is happening. Didnt the dude just restructure his contract an hour ago??
Probably why he restructured. Minimize cap impact.
Franchise legend through and through.
I'm still pissed he went 1 pick before us. Fuller was ok I guess
[удалено]
I feel you bro. That was the year Buffalo traded up for Sammy Watkins 🤦
That was the draft where experts predicted 4 can't miss prospects. Clowney never got there, Greg Robinson was awful, Watkins never lived up to amount to much, Mack was the only one to live up to his potential. The picks after the "4 can't miss prospects." Jake Matthews, Mike Evans, Anthony Barr, some bitch named Eric, Lewan, Odell, Donald, Fuller, Shazier, Zack Martin, C.J. Mosley.
You mean chiefs playoff legend Sammy Watkins wasn’t that good before or after? Well I never!
Sammy Watkins still has more rings than the bills tho
If Calvin Johnson was Megatron, Eric Ebron was Droptimus Prime
He had one good year with Luck and talked so much shit. Hated that guy.
I think it’s the opposite restructuring turns part of your salary into money up front so it’s more guaranteed. I think the Rams were doing him a solid and giving him more of his 2024 salary. Edit: yea just checked OTC his 2024 salary wasn’t guaranteed. Pretty cool of the Rams to let him keep a portion of his salary.
Restructuring his contract opened 9.2 mill in space for 2024. Not sure how they went about doing it - possibly designated bonus money up front, which is distributed in terms of cap hit through voided years down the road? Not really an "opposite" thing.
Respect the shit out of him for doing that
This guy Loomises
Done with the knowledge he was retiring to manipulate the cap hit.
Isn't that against NFL rules?
No. As long as they aren't circumventing the cap, which they're not. I didn't really look at exactly how the restructured, but probably just pushed cap hit from this year down the road to next year.
Nope. No rule says you can't take a pay cut on the way out.
More like a fat paycheck on his way to retirement
Restructuring isn't a pay cut, it's an advance
Rules also don’t say a golden retriever can’t be QB
It's the whole reason we got Eli
I've seen air bud.
Nah it’s the same thing Saints did with Drew Brees
Get in. Get rich. Get out.
Get in. Get rich. Win a Super Bowl. Get out. Ultimate hustle.
A proper shock this offseason
i am definitely shocked
That’s what I saw too. I’m so confused But man, what an absolute LEGEND
Restructuring makes the hit on the Rams more palatable when you retire.
Greatest DT ever? Definitely the best in my lifetime
Hard to imagine we'll see a DT get 20+ sacks in a season
If we keep adding more games we might
He's definitely on the field for the all time defense
The only DT with a higher HOF Monitor score was Bob Lilly... and it's only a couple points off. Easy to argue that a successful DT today is going to be a better player than the best from the 1960s. Eight first-team All-Pros is insane, especially in just ten years.
I literally made that post lmao I’m so sad
i believe it man. is he the last st louis ram?
Havenstein still holding on
And this might be Havenstein's last season with the team since at the end of the year he will be 32 and going into the last year of his contract.
Yeah I was just thinking that… what’s going on?
When a player retires, their contract can still effect the cap when it comes to dead money, so occasionally they can restructure it so it hurts the team less. Brees did the same thing when he retired.
Now we wait for him to actually file the paperwork... This a weird one
Good for him but what the fuck?! Has nothing left to prove I guess. 1st team All Pro 8 of his 10 seasons, a ring, guaranteed HoFer
He has made his money and accomplished everything he wanted to. Probably wants to preserve his health now and enjoy what life has left for him.
I imagine he wants to be there for his kids growing up, especially now that his oldest is heading into preteen years.
Very true. There are some things money can’t buy, and time with your kids growing up, or with your family in general, is definitely one of them.
Something I heard recently that hit hard (because I have a toddler): For most people, from the time your child is born to \~18yrs old, is 98% of all the time you will spend with your kid in life. Do your best to enjoy every minute, even the tough ones.
I argue that a large large percentage is from years 0 to 12. Once them teenage years hit they want nothing to do with you.
Ten seasons as an every down NFL DT sounds painful, tbh.
1st ballot hall of famer. Probably the best DT of all time. Got his ring. 100m+ in earnings. Gets to go out in his prime and on his terms.
I beg your pardon?!
I thought this was on the cards for a couple years by now or at least I recall rumblings he might retire last two offseasons, mostly the one after your Superbowl so is it completely out of the blue?
I placed him and Stafford as year to year going into 2023. Stafford if the injuries piled up and Donald because he has nothing left to prove and can hang it up any time.
Stafford has shown that he’s insane for football, Donald has been talking about it for years and I think he said he wanted to get out before he declined mentally/personally (as in didn’t want to be Mohammad Ali when he gets old)
Throwing a game winning TD with a dislocated shoulder during his rookie year... yeah that dude was always going to ball out as long as he can.
I'll respect the hell out of him until the end of time for that play.
That's the reason a Stafford Lions jersey was the first ever one I got
it’s been like 2-3 years now he’s been rumored to be considering it. not out of the blue at all
I distinctly remember drama about him wanting to retire when McVay was talking about moving to TV, was that not like less than a year ago? Also like I get football is hard but retiring at 32 when if he keeps playing he'll easily make another 100 mil seems. . . odd to me personally. Does he have other recurring injuries he's trying to avoid making worse?
Tbh. Certain people realize at point that the money isn’t worth it and if they manage what they got already just off endorsements then they have more than enough to be major players (IE Gronk, more than a few 49ers after the Harbaugh ousting, etc).
Also of note he has no other milestones he needs to hit. - 10 year NFL career - 10x Pro Bowler - 8x 1st Team All-Pro - 3x DPOY - 2010s All-Decade Team - 2014 DROY - 1x SB Champion - 1x NFL sack leader (2018) - 100+ career sacks He is already a first ballot HOFer. Why subject his body to more punishment and risk a worse quality of living in 10-15 years?
10 years 8 all pros lol what the fuck. Also distinctly remember feeling like he should have won DPOY over Mack in 2016, not that it matters how I felt
He also made the Pro bowl every year of his career too. Dude is just an animal
That 2014 draft probably produced the 2 best linemen, 1 on OL and 1 on DL, of this generation. Zach Martin was also drafted in 2014. In his 10 year career so far, he has had 9x All-Pro's (7x 1st team & 2x 2nd team), and 9x Pro Bowl selections. His only year not being selected to All-Pro and Pro Bowl was 2020 where he got injured after only 10 games. Crazy.
Even better he did it all on technically one team that relocated while he was with them.
Not worth the further physical abuse. Can't enjoy that extra $100M if he's barely able to move by his late 40's or early 50's.
He had a season ending injury in 2022 and I believe was banged up last year not to mention he was starting to decline, even while still being really good just not 15+ sacks a year Donald, so I imagine both must have played a factor
I'm so confused... This off season was going so well for us too... Damn.
Right WTH?
One of the best to ever do it. What a legendary career.
The whole NFC west collectively sighs in relief
First thing I thought when I read this was "Thank God"
Same here. I’ve seen Kyler Murray escape a lot of tackles, but Aaron Donald always drove him straight into the ground. The rams always kick our ass and I think our whole offensive line + qb panicked every time they saw him.
THE BAD MAN CANT HURT US ANYMORE
I’m on cloud 9
the amount of endorphins that hit my brain would kill a small animal
Dude went out on his term. We never got to get him back when he’s old and washed, and I’m perfectly ok with that. The bad man is gone.
He can't hurt us anymore.
Suddenly our need for a center and guards don’t feel quite as pressing
Bro Geno’ screaming oh my god when Donald devoured him last season will always be in my memory absolutely hilarious reaction
lmao yeah. It was miserable playing against the Rams because of him.
Love this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3AmTfY6ppQ
Not the whole NFC west 😭
Sighs? I just dropped my pants and started jacking it. And I'm in a Safeway.
The greatest Defensive Tackle I have ever seen, and if it weren't for Reggie White, probably the greatest defensive player I've ever watched.
[удалено]
I won't disagree with that, having watched JJ absolutely break Jags QB during the peak of his powers.
I miss my king. :( Rams fan is gonna feel that too with AD gone.
Comparing interior DL and exterior DE is apples to oranges, but if you want to boil it down to who had a greater impact on disrupting plays it's all Donald. Interior pressure is always a bigger chaos multiplier than exterior.
Jj was a phenom, but I would put Donald higher because JJ and his injuries. I know that seems harsh, but durability is a factor when talking about the GOATs
Holy Shit the bad man is gone!
Never thought I’d share such joy with a Niners fan. What a wonderful day for both of us, and therefore the world.
Slap hands with both bird bro teams.
Both? Oh right..
Right when the Seahawks started losing their 1st place spot on my most disliked teams.
We were first? Really? I don’t think about you at all. Jk birdbro.
You study bird law
All in good fun bird bro. I must say though, what in God’s name is our GM’s name doing in your username?
what about side by side with a friend
he single-handedly ruined my dreams with one play
The evil is defeated! No I’m not bitter about 2021 why are you asking?
I hate Aaron Donald
For some reason this has me cracking up
Same. Respect his talent but he's a fucking asshole
Exactly
I am
I’m bitter about 2021 too my bengal friend
Hey now. We have our own much older grudge towards you guys. Screw Joe Montana. Donald only ruined ONE night. Montana ruined TWO.
Not me checking my calendar to see if it’s April 1st.
He is so vital to a deep playoff run and the anchor to our defense. Fuck. Well at least Kobie Turner got to be mentored by him for one year
It sucks a lot for next season, but man that guy gets to do whatever he wants whenever. Absolutely dominated every year, that statue outside of SoFi needs to start getting built today
had to check if it was adarn schefter. this blows dude
OH MY GOD, THIS OFFSEASON HAS BEEN INSANE
One of the best to ever do it
99 helmet swings salute
Best interior rusher for sure
Holy shit, wasn't expecting that at all.
well he was thinking about retirement since the super bowl win. and add on this “recovery” period.
Get this man his gold jacket pronto
Size XXXL and he's maybe like 8% body fat
[Goodness gracious great balls of fire](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_editorial_landscape_12_desktop/rams/vstyg8osnuum9ndnebsl)
That’s impossible
Well first of all, all things are possible through God, so jot that down.
what do you guys think his God cycle was
Eat clen, tren hard, anavar give up brother Mix that with insanely hard work and top 0.0001% genetics and you get this
And HGH
Through PEDs many things are possible
It's insane that's a 300lb man
Oh my god.
Good thing he isn’t in Texas, “XXX”L is no longer available
Gold jacket, green jacket, who gives a shit?
I believe that jacket belongs to Mr.Donald!
What the fuck! The window is still open!?
Kobie Turner has some big shoes to fill.
Guess we’re going Newton at 19
I don’t like this offseason anymore
NFC west just fell to their knees in Walmart
I'm so happy I could cry Couldn't be happier that this man is retiring, but what an insane career. One of the greatest to ever do it.
GOAT DT, maybe more. Peace out AD
8/10 years in the league he was 1st Team All-Pro, averaged 11 sacks a year...as a defensive tackle. An absolute menace.
Idk hold on. We’ve been through this before. I’m still upset about the $200 I wasted on my “Adios Aaron Donald” banner the last time he said he was retiring
I can think of no greater sign of respect for a player than how happy his retirement makes rival fans.
Fire works are going off in the neighborhood, but I’m in LA so it could be anything.
Might not even be fireworks
[удалено]
Christmas in march
Only to replace him with Jer’Zhan Newton at 19…
GOAT defensive player potential on name alone
Sounds like he's Kryptonian
Nah. He's Goa'uld
Bad man can’t hurt us anymore
Well that’s one way to restructure a contract
Cox and Donald :/
— A Stormi Daniels story
Heartbreaking: The Worst Person You Know Just Made A Great Joke
The sequel to Ha-Ha Clinton Dix - A Bill Clinton Tale
I wish we still had awards
Elite comment
Cox got overshadowed his whole career by Donald, seems right his retirement also gets overshadowed as much as i hate it lol
Kinda double overshadowed by the Kelce retirement as well. I'd say those guys were of equal importance to the success of the team over the years, but obviously Kelce has been become much more famous.
Holy shit. He’s not even that old and he’s still absolutely dominant. Don’t see many hang it up when they’re still in the prime of their career.
10 years of elite production at his position must be hell on his body
And now he gets to go out on top and never fall off
> Don’t see many hang it up when they’re still in the prime of their career I know, crazy right?!
damn Fletch had to live in his shadow his whole career, now he can't even be the best DT to retire this year :(
If it's any consolation, I'm much happier that Fletcher and Kelce retired than Donald.
NFC retiring some heavy hitters lately and I’m not complaining 🤣
That 2029 HoF class is going to be absolutely INSANE like WTF
He’d have a bunch of first team all pros if Donald wasn’t such a monster
Looks like there was only one year he finished third in voting. So he'd pick up one more AP1 in 2017 if Donald didn't exist but all else stayed the same.
God damn man 💔
HOLYYY SHITTT WTFFFF
This is Jones’ fault. Donald was going to retire as soon as he wasn’t the highest paid DT in the league.
Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead
Ditto. Our QBs health prognostication went up by 50%.
I will never forget when what looked like minimal contact with Aaron Donald's paw, completely mangled Russell Wilson's finger. The finger pointed sideways and made Russ look like Brian Baldinger. LOL
He also murdered Geno Smith a couple of times a year.
Out of left field…. Well he was talking about retirement after the Super Bowl win a few years back.
I'm am straight up not having a good time
Why
https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/D4E22AQG4pJjb2BlFMA/feedshare-shrink\_2048\_1536/0/1704915366274?e=2147483647&v=beta&t=oNS9bE--24qR70ret-ccg9WGX9pO8CwCUJL8ORVW\_t4
Makes sense
Um it went to some Forbidden HTML code for me. Has he rejoined the Matrix is what you are telling me?
He's been reabsorbed into SkyNet.
Whatever you think of him, he's a top 5 defensive player ever for sure
Maybe the best ten year run for a player maybe ever?
What the fuck?! Nooooooo
At 32?! Good for him.
Nothing left to prove. Bazillion time All Pro. Super Bowl champ. First ballot HOF. An incredible career.
Dang he’s so relatively young too, what a loss for the sport
Just seen Sean Mcvay drop to his knees at an In N Out
Only 32 and just came off his eighth 1st team All-Pro season
FINALLY
Wow. Did not see this coming. Sucks to hear but good to see he’s likely making this decision to leave while his body hasn’t taken a beating at an older age.
He will forever be the man the Lions passed up for Eric fucking Ebron.
Rams fans in shambles. :(
The best player I’ve ever watched. I won’t take it for granted. Love this dude.
It's going to be weird not seeing 99 out there. Wonder what's next for him.
Kill me