Aaron Donald Has No Sacks Through 7 Games, But Rams Star Is Not Worried

Aaron Donald returned to the Los Angeles Rams this season with the kind of hopes that come with his name. Seven games into the season, one number stands out more than the others. He has not taken down the other team’s passer behind the line before a throw.

That would be a bigger worry for most players who try to stop the other team’s passer. Donald is different because his value has never been tied only to that one stat. The three-time winner of the league’s top award for a defensive player has spent his career changing plays before the final numbers show it. Through seven games, he has 13 tackles and has not taken down the other team’s passer behind the line before a throw.

Aaron Donald Is Not Chasing Number

Donald was asked about the missing stat on Thursday, and his answer showed why he is not treating it as a crisis.

“Sacks come in bunches,” Donald told reporters. “It’s going to come. Just keep playing ball and keep finding ways to win.”

That way of thinking makes sense for a player who has already taken down the other team’s passer behind the line before a throw 111 times in his career. Donald has also made life hard for passers again and again, with 256 hits on passers and 176 tackles that stopped plays behind the line. Those numbers explain why judging his return only by that one stat would miss part of the picture. Even before the season began, there was talk about Donald’s return to the Rams starting to heat up.

There is still a fair question about how much Donald can give the Rams after missing the last two seasons. He is 35 years old, and he is not the same player who took down the other team’s passer behind the line before a throw 20 and a half times in 2018.

However, the Rams did not bring him back because they expected another season with 20 or more sacks. They brought him back because few players in the middle of the defense have ever been better at making an offense change its plan.

Rams Need More Than One Stat

Donald also made it clear that his own numbers come after the team’s results.

“That’s the most important thing is winning,” he said. “No pressure, I’m not worried about it.”

That matters because the Rams can live with Donald’s total if his presence is helping the defense in other ways. The team has won four of its seven games that Donald has played in, including wins over the Giants, Commanders and Raiders. Donald has recorded at least one tackle in all of those games. Earlier in the season, there were questions about why the Rams needed to start winning games in Week 6, and they have answered some of them.

The bigger test is whether those wins continue while Donald is still waiting for that first big play against a passer. He said those plays can come in bunches, but the Rams cannot build their plan around waiting for them.

That puts weight on the rest of the players up front to cause enough trouble while Donald works back into his old form. If he starts winning more one-on-one battles, that missing number could change quickly.

Aaron Donald’s History Gives Him Some Room

There is also a reason Donald is not worried about forcing the issue. His career has already shown how quickly a quiet stretch can change.

He finished with eight of those plays in 2023 after recording five in 2022 and 12 and a half in 2021. Before that, he had 13 and a half in 2020 and 20 and a half in 2018.

Those numbers do not promise that another big run is coming. They do show why Donald is comfortable waiting for his chances rather than changing the way he plays.

“When they present themselves, hopefully hold the ball and take advantage of it,” Donald said.

That may be the most important part of his answer. Donald knows those plays have to come from the game, not from chasing one number.

The Last Word

Donald has not had a sack through seven games, but that does not mean he has no value. He is still part of the action and is helping the Rams win.

The big test now is whether he can start making more game-changing plays as the season goes on. If he does, the Rams will be even harder to beat, despite their injuries.

 

Main Image: David Brytus-Imagn Images