Nightcap Hour 3: Aaron Donald THINKING About RETURN + Q & Ayyyyy

**Shannon Sharpe** (0:01)
Joe, I don't know if you want to hear this.

**Iso Joe Johnson** (0:03)
What you got, man?

**Shannon Sharpe** (0:04)
Aaron Donald text reported Jordan Shultz Tuesday night and said he's considered returning to the Rams. The text read, I'm for sure flirting with the idea. Hello, an opportunity with the Super Bowl and SoFi this year. If I can find the fire, it's a possibility. Ocho, if AD. Miles Garrett on the same D line with Fisk and with that great rotation they got, what are you thinking? Could this be the greatest defense ever?

**Chad Johnson** (0:30)
I mean, I don't know about the greatest defense ever, but it'd be two of the greatest players ever, ever lace him up on defense. I don't know about the greatest defense, but what did I say when Miles Garrett, when we talked about this night before last? I said there's a good chance because Miles Garrett is going there, even though Aaron Donald has not played down in two years, but he's consistently stayed in shape, he consistently worked out, but there's nothing like actually playing football. There's nothing like actually playing football, but knowing Aaron Donald and what he's already accomplished, if there's one reason to have to come back that makes it easy and want to get another Super Bowl championship is right now.
It's right now. That window for the Rams, this is the time to do it. If he's going to-

**Iso Joe Johnson** (1:17)
Hey, listen, I understand it's very intriguing for him to come back, but did you hear the key word? He has to find the fire.
Hey, that ain't easy, fellas. He's been sitting down chilling. Yeah, he's been working out. He in great shape. Do I think he can come back and still be effective? Hell yeah. But you have to want to put your body through their rigorous NFL season and he knows what it's like, bro. He knows what it's going to be like in week eight. You know what I mean? When you banged up in sores, I don't know what. Yeah, he know what that's like, bro.

**Shannon Sharpe** (1:50)
It's just hard when you step away from the game like that, Ocho.
Ocho, we know how it is. When we just gone, when we just missed, when you put them pads on, take them off once the season's over and you don't really put the full pads back on to your training camp, it takes you a while to get everything, get readjusted the way that thing feel and get your body used to carrying those pads again. You get your spidey senses tingling. He's been away for two years. He used to automatically know, oh man, this guard is sitting light. If somebody hit him somewhere, he knows the trap is coming. He's going to have to relearn all that. His spidey senses will have to start tingling again.

**Iso Joe Johnson** (2:30)
Yeah.

**Shannon Sharpe** (2:31)
Could he do it? Yes. But like you said, Joe, to find that fireman, he walked away and said, man, I just didn't have the desire.

**Iso Joe Johnson** (2:38)
Yeah.

**Shannon Sharpe** (2:38)
And it wasn't like they were a bad team.

**Iso Joe Johnson** (2:40)
No.

**Chad Johnson** (2:41)
No, no. Hold on, he walked away with nothing else to prove.

**Iso Joe Johnson** (2:43)
That's what I'm saying.

**Shannon Sharpe** (2:44)
What do you want to prove now? What do you want to prove now? Let me ask you a question. If he comes out of retirement and he plays well, will you think any different of Aaron Donald?
Absolutely not. No.
Eight times first team All-Pro. Three defensive players of the year, defensive rookie of the year. I ain't got nothing. I'm going to make a case. If he never comes back, if he comes back, he's a top five defensive player all time, based on his body of work and the level of play. Even if you just take the awards away, which you can, cut the tape off.

**Chad Johnson** (3:13)
Right.

**Iso Joe Johnson** (3:13)
Yeah.

**Shannon Sharpe** (3:14)
Just cut the tape off.

**Chad Johnson** (3:15)
That's all you need to see.

**Iso Joe Johnson** (3:16)
And a guy like Aaron Donald, y'all know he want to come back and dominate. He ain't trying to come back.

**Shannon Sharpe** (3:22)
Yes. Yes. He can't be average.

**Iso Joe Johnson** (3:24)
No sir. He don't know what that's like. He ain't nowhere in here.

**Chad Johnson** (3:29)
And the funny thing about it too, think about them having a double team mouth.
Think about them having a double team mouth and try to double him. That opens up everything else for other people. Defensively, they can do that much more because of those two on that line.