Rams executive vice president and COO Kevin Demoff was on stage during the team’s charity kickoff luncheon Wednesday when his phone began vibrating. He looked down and recognized the number.
“My phone is buzzing. It’s Aaron Donald’s agent. No joke. I wish I were making it up,” Demoff said, via Rich Hammond of of the Southern California News Group.
Donald is expected to end his holdout in the next few days by agreeing to a deal that will make him the league’s highest-paid defensive player. Rams coach Sean McVay said Tuesday he was “very, very optimistic” about getting a contract completed with Donald.
McVay reiterated that a day later.
“Where’s Demoff at? Did he get Aaron done?” McVay said during the lunechon. ". . . I think we’re very close to try to get this done.”
Rams General Manager Les Snead said the deal is not completed, but confirmed it’s close.
“Sean definitely is not speaking out of turn,” Snead said in agreeing with McVay’s optimism. “He is well aware of updates, but nothing has agreed upon.”
Snead added he would avoid further comment about negotiations or progress the sides have made.