Aaron Donald and the Los Angeles Rams continue to joust over a new long-term contract ahead of the team’s mandatory minicamp. As such, it’s not expected that he’ll have that new deal done in time for that camp, which means his holdout will almost certainly continue.
According to Steve Wyche of NFL Network, Donald’s contract talks are “in flux,” as both he and Oakland Raiders pass rusher Khalil Mack (expected to hold out of mandatory minicamp in Oakland) play a game of chicken over who will get their contract first and set the new market for top defensive players.
A deal for DT @AaronDonald97 and the @RamsNFL won’t be done by the time mini-camp starts. So, is that a big deal? @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/fIsqJgV7jU
— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) June 11, 2018
Wyche also notes that the Rams don’t expect Donald to show up for the mandatory minicamp, which is something he did last year in a similar position seeking a new contract. That said, the Rams are not concerned about any of this being a real problem in the end. Donald didn’t even attend training camp last year as he held out for a deal that never came, yet he still was an unstoppable force and was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2017.
In four seasons as a pro, this former Pitt star has racked up 205 tackles and 39 sacks, earning First-team All-Pro honors the past three years running.