AD admits that he’s starting to feel older as he approaches 8th season…

Aaron Donald admits he's beginning to feel older as he enters 8th season

[theramswire.usatoday.com]

Skyler Carlin

Aaron Donald is coming off a season in which he won his third Defensive Player of the Year award (second in the past three seasons) and has long been considered the most dominant defensive player in the NFL. The Los Angeles Rams are grateful to have a freak of nature like Donald on the interior of their defense as they intend to compete for a Super Bowl in 2021.

Despite Donald not showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon, the All-Pro interior defender admitted that he’s beginning to feel his age catching up to him with training camp getting underway.

“Yeah, I’m getting older. I feel it. My aches and pains last a little longer, so I definitely feel it,” he said.

Donald, who turned 30 back in May, has been the definition of reliable for the Rams as he’s missed just two games in his entire career. The veteran interior lineman is known for taking good care of his body during the offseason, but he shared that his recovery takes a bit longer now than it did earlier in his career.

Even though Donald uttered that he’s feeling different at this point in his career, Sean McVay isn’t concerned with a possible decline in Donald’s explosiveness entering the 2021 campaign.

“No, I do not. He looks pretty damn good to me,” McVay said with a laugh. “He has got that same look in his eye. He looks good. He had a good first day. We know that he’s working hard. I think he’s going to pick up right where he left off and what he has done since I’ve been fortunate enough to be around him has been pretty spectacular. He is one-of-one.”

As Donald continues to strengthen his resume for the Hall of Fame, he’s the odds-on favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year again in 2021. Barring an unforeseen massive drop-off in his performance, there shouldn’t be any worries with Donald as he takes the field for the first time in his 30s this year.