Donald made his way out of the tunnel during pregame player introductions to a loud cheer from the stadium crowd, which included members of his family.
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The defensive tackle produced three tackles, including one that resulted in a loss.
“I felt the love after I had that tackle for a loss and they were cheering for me,” Donald said.
The tackle tied Donald with Lavonte David and Von Miller (177) for fourth on the all-time tackles for loss list.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2026 NFL season
Week 2: Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson (87) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys wore their “Arctic White” uniforms for the 37-20 win.
(Kevin Jairaj, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2026 NFL season
Week 2: Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson (87) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys wore their “Arctic White” uniforms for the 37-20 win.
(Kevin Jairaj, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2026 NFL season
(Matt Kartozian, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2026 NFL season
Week 2: The Baltimore Ravens’ Trey Hendrickson (91) reacts after a sack against the New Orleans Saints at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens wore their “White Noise” uniforms, just one of the team’s new uniform combinations that will debut during the 2026 season. The Ravens lost the game, 24-17.
(James Lang, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2026 NFL season
Week 2: New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson (5) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers at MetLife Stadium. The Jets debuted their “White Out” uniforms for their home opener, which ended in a 20-17 overtime loss.
(Brad Penner, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2026 NFL season
Week 1: Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) drops back to pass against the Kansas City Chiefs during a “Monday Night Football” game at Arrowhead Stadium. The Broncos have utilized the “Summit White” look just once before, during a win over the AFC West rival Chiefs on Christmas Day 2025.
(Denny Medley, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2026 NFL season
Week 1: Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason (27) rushes against the Green Bay Packers during a 39-22 win at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings sported their “Vikings Classic” throwback uniforms, an homage to the team’s look during its inaugural season and one it has used since the 2023 season.
(Matt Krohn, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2026 NFL season
Week 1: Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young looks to throw against the Chicago Bears during a 59-37 loss at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers sported the uniform combo for just the fourth time ever.
(Jim Dedmon, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2026 NFL season
Week 1: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws a pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Paycor Stadium. The Bengals went “Open in Orange” for the season opener, which was a 33-27 victory.
(Katie Stratman, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
J.J. Watt is third on the list with 195 tackles, with Calais Campbell (196) in second and Terrell Suggs (202) in first. The NFL officially began holding the record for most career tackles for a loss since 1999.
Donald spent time amongst the fans after his postgame press conference, shaking hands and signing some autographs as fans continued to cheer for him.
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One of Donald’s biggest takeaways was the need to work on his timing moving forward, admitting he could’ve worked faster to win his 1-on-1 matchups.
“I’m a little sore right now,” Donald said. “But it feels good to be back out there and get that first game under my belt. … I’m officially back playing football.”
Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams warms up prior to the game against the New York Giants at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 21, 2026.
Donald did appear to have a wrap around his right hand during the press conference. When asked about it directly, he again just chalked it up to being sore and playing after just two padded practices.
Coach Sean McVay was thrilled to have one of his starting defenders back on the field and the impact he made beyond the stat sheet.
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“His overall energy,” McVay said, talking about Donald’s impact on the team. “One of the things is he elicits attention. He brings everybody up around him and I didn’t think it was by coincidence that was the energy that we played with.
“… I thought the defensive coaches did a great job of their game plan, but ultimately just elevating situations he’s in and people that he’s around. That’s what the greats do and that’s what he does.”
Donald and the Rams will be back in action against the Denver Broncos in a nonconference road game on Sunday, Sept, 27.
