The Rams have acknowledged that defensive tackle Aaron Donald is set for a big contract extension several times, but nothing’s been signed at this point and it appears that will keep them from working with Donald for at least the early part of their offseason program.
According to multiple reports, Donald is not expected to report to work when the Rams kick off the first stage of their workout program on Monday. The workouts are voluntary until the Rams make it to their mandatory minicamp in June.
Donald’s absence does not come as a surprise. The absence of a contract extension led Donald to stay away from the Rams last offseason and skip training camp as well before returning for the regular season. The missed time didn’t hurt Donald on the field, but getting a deal done would clear a big item from the Rams’ to-do list while also making Donald happy after a long wait for a new deal.
That wait has featured many other moves by the Rams, including the acquisition of Brandin Cooks, Marcus Peters, Ndamukong Suh and Aqib Talib this offseason. They’ll busy themselves with acclimating those new players into the team while the Donald saga plays out again this year.