Report: Aaron Donald has not ruled out sitting out 2017 season
Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald is holding out for a new contract, and it does not sound like that holdout is anywhere close to ending.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Thursday that Donald’s holdout is “threatening to last into the regular season.” One source told Schefter that the possibility of Donald sitting out all of 2017 has not been ruled out.
“One source speculated that he could envision Donald sitting out 2017, though a lot can change in any negotiation in a hurry,” Schefter said. “But the fact that such strong thoughts exist now provides a snapshot into where the two sides are today: not particularly close to a deal. The two sides will stay in touch, but today there is pessimism about how long Donald’s holdout could last.”
Donald is scheduled to make just $8.5 million over the next two seasons, which is nowhere near close to what players of his caliber make. While the Rams have expressed optimism about eventually resolving the situation, some comments their GM made recently did not sound particularly encouraging.
After just three NFL seasons, Donald has already racked up a total of 28 career sacks and four forced fumbles. The Rams can probably get away with paying him slightly less than the top defensive tackle in the league, but Donald will want the gap to be fairly small.
