MELBOURNE / LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald will miss the club’s season opener against the San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, coach Sean McVay confirmed, delaying the three-time Defensive Player of the Year’s return after he ended a two-year retirement last month, ABC News, ESPN, and NBC Sports reported.

The game — the first NFL regular-season contest in Australia — is set for Friday morning Melbourne time (Thursday night ET on Netflix). The Rams planned a roughly 16-hour flight and only about a day on the ground before kickoff; the 49ers arrived earlier and had a full week to adjust.

“I think he’ll be ready to go sooner rather than later. But we’re making a decision that we think is best for him and for our team,” McVay said, per ABC.

Donald, 35, rejoined the Rams in late August after retiring in 2024, worked individual drills quickly, and only recently progressed into fuller team work. McVay said Donald “wants to be out there” but understands “a necessary ramp up.” Donald told reporters he felt good “knocking the rust off” and was “taking it day by day.”

ESPN and NBC Sports reported Donald will not travel and will be inactive Week 1. The Rams’ next game is Monday, Sept. 21, at home against the New York Giants — an 11-day gap that gives Donald a normal week without the long-haul flight. Los Angeles has already invested in the defensive line without him, including drafting Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske, signing Poona Ford, and trading for reigning DPOY Myles Garrett, who will face the 49ers in Melbourne without his new teammate opposite.

“Any good defensive line I’ve been a part of, there’s a rotation where you got to have five, six guys that play and play meaningful snaps,” McVay said, expressing confidence in the Australia group.

Unretiring into Week 1 on the other side of the planet was always the hard mode. Sitting Melbourne is the boring, professional call.

Sources