With an impressive average of 0.77 sacks per game, Donald may have the potential to surpass Bruce Smith’s career sacks record. However, achieving this feat would likely require him to extend his playing career beyond his current intentions.
At 31 years old, Aaron Donald has cemented his place among football’s legends with an impressive array of accolades. As a defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams, he boasts three N.F.L. Defensive Player of the Year awards, sharing the record with Lawrence Taylor and J.J. Watt. Donald’s consistent excellence has earned him Pro Bowl honors in each of his eight seasons in the league, culminating in a Super Bowl victory last season where he notched two sacks in the Rams’ win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
His recent milestone of reaching 100 career regular-season sacks, achieved by maneuvering past Arizona Cardinals offensive guard Will Hernandez and tripping quarterback Kyler Murray, further solidifies his status as one of the game’s elite players. What sets Donald apart is not just the sheer number of sacks but also the fact that he is one of only three interior defensive tackles to achieve this feat since 1960, alongside Hall of Famers Alan Page and Alex Karras. Throughout his career, Donald has faced formidable challenges, contending with double teams and complex protections due to his position on the defensive line’s interior, unlike edge rushers who often encounter more favorable one-on-one matchups.
Despite playing on the interior, Aaron Donald has amassed sacks at an astonishing rate. Since his NFL debut in 2014, he leads all players in sacks. He joins a select group of 40 players to achieve 100 sacks since the NFL started officially recording them in the 1982 season, with just six other active players — Von Miller, Chandler Jones, Cameron Jordan, Justin Houston, J.J. Watt, and Robert Quinn — reaching this significant milestone.
Donald achieved his 100th sack in his 130th regular-season game, making him the 10th fastest among his peers, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Despite this accomplishment, Donald remains humble, stating, “Any time you accomplish anything, it’s a great honor. But obviously I’m just out here playing — not thinking about it, just playing a game.”
The duration of Aaron Donald’s career will ultimately determine his standing among career sack leaders. Although he contemplated retirement following the Rams’ Super Bowl victory in February, the team’s restructuring of his contract, which now includes $95 million guaranteed, ensures his status as the highest-paid nonquarterback in NFL history. This adjustment suggests that Donald’s tenure of quarterback terrorizing may conclude after the 2024 season; however, if he maintains his current pace, he could reach 137 sacks by the contract’s end. Should he continue playing well into his late 30s or early 40s and sustain his impressive sack-per-game rate of 0.77, he could potentially challenge the career sack record held by Hall of Famer Bruce Smith, who amassed 200 sacks over 19 seasons.
“Aaron is probably the greatest football player that probably most of us have been around,” remarked Raheem Morris, the Rams’ defensive coordinator. “You’re carrying his gold jacket right now, and we’re just lucky enough to be able to watch it.”