Los Angeles Rams NFL Trade and Roster Rumors: Aaron Donald Likely to Miss Rams' Season Opener as Contract Holdout Continues
Two-time first-team All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald still hasn't reported to work since he began his contract holdout back in July, and chances are, he's likely going to miss the Los Angeles Rams' season opener against the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday.
While the Rams head coach Sean McVay remains optimistic they can reach a resolution before Sunday's game, he also admitted that they may have to start the season without the services of their best player.
"He is not ruled out, but right now he's not here. Guys are ready to go and we're getting a plan in place and the preparation goes on," McVay said, via the Rams' official website.
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"Fortunately, we've got a bunch of guys that we feel confident in that are ready to step up. Like we said, our message continues to remain the same: If he's here, great, we'll accept him back with open arms," he continued.
Donald is arguably the best defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL), and he has been named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons in the league.
This is a player who has accumulated 164 tackles, 28 sacks, and four forced fumbles in his first three seasons in the NFL. That's quite a feat. However, he's only going to earn $1.8 million this season and $6.9 million in 2018 because of the league's rookie wage scale, and he's not happy about that.
Last Saturday, ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio said the two sides have continued to negotiate, but they are still nowhere near a deal. Some observers have even suggested that the hold out may extend into the regular season if the Rams refuse to give in and pay Donald what he is worth.
As of the moment, Donald is on the Rams' on the reserve/did not report list and his presence will be missed when they take on Colts this Sunday.
