Aaron Donalds Rams honeymoon is over as Broncos, Bo Nix await in Denver

Aaron Donald got his homecoming. He got the roar of the Rams’ crowd.The pregame introduction out of the tunnel that sent goosebumps down the arms of 78,000 screaming fans.

He got the kind of reception that is reserved for franchise royalty. Nearly three years after his last NFL snap, Donald was able to soak in the love from Rams’ fans who probably never imagined they would ever see No.99 in a uniform again. “This is a blessing,” Donald said Thursday.

“You never take nothing for granted.”Donald’s return was everything it should have been and more. But now the honeymoon is over. When Donald takes the field in Denver for the first time since 2018, it won’t be about nostalgia anymore.Nobody inside Empower Field at Mile High is going to celebrate Donald’s comeback or care how good it felt to put the pads on again.

Bo Nix certainly won’t care. Donald’s first game back proved he can still play NFL football.He played 32 snaps, had three tackles, one for loss, 18 pass rush snaps, one QB pressure and was double-teamed seven times. Those statistics should improve in his second game and by the end of 60 minutes in Denver, we should have a better idea of how much of the old Aaron Donald is still left in the tank.  The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.

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Never miss a story And nobody appears more interested in finding out that answer than Donald himself. The future Hall of Famer admitted he watched the film of his Rams return against the New York Giants a whopping six times. Donald said he was studying his movements, dissecting his mistakes and comparing what he saw against film of himself from years ago.“Just breaking myself down, watching myself,” Donald said.“What I could have done better, things I did right, ways I can clean little things up, seeing where...