New Rams cornerback Marcus Peters has an idea: Pay Aaron Donald.
“Hey man, pay the man,” Peters said, via Greg Beacham of the Associated Press. “I mean [expletive]. You win the MVP? Come on now.”
Never mind that Donald didn’t win the MVP. He was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year after making 11 sacks and forcing five fumbles last season.
Donald, who turns 27 on Wednesday, has not taken part in any voluntary work with the Rams this offseason. He held out of the offseason program, training camp and the preseason in 2017, reporting to the team a day before the Rams’ season opener.
Donald is scheduled to make $6.89 million this season in the final year of his rookie contract.
“Aaron is a vet, man,” the Rams’ other new cornerback, Aqib Talib, said. “He’s going to take care of his own business. What’s his business is his business.”
Broncos linebacker Von Miller currently is the league’s highest-paid defensive player, with a $114.5 million deal that pays him $19.083 million per season. The Rams already have said they expect Donald to surpass Miller’s deal and have expressed optimism at getting something done.
But so far the sides have not reached agreement on an extension.
“It’s kind of where it’s been,” coach Sean McVay said. “We’re in constant dialogue and communication with his representation. It is something that we want to get resolved. As far as a timetable, don’t really have any dates on that. I don’t expect Aaron to be here until we get a resolution to that.”