Los Angeles Rams fans were hoping to see Aaron Donald make his NFL return Thursday night against NFC West rival San Francisco. But Donald didn't make the trip to Australia and was ruled out for Week 1, with head coach Sean McVay wanting to give the future Hall of Famer more time to ramp up after coming out of retirement. Bringing Donald back wasn't cheap, though — even with his contract trimmed down to $20 million from the $30 million he was originally set to make, the Rams still needed to find more room under the cap.
So on Wednesday, they turned to safety Quentin Lake for some relief. Per Over The Cap, the team reworked his deal, dropping his cap number from $4.285 million to $3.42 million by converting the remaining $857,000 into a signing bonus. That move now leaves Los Angeles with around $3 million in space under the cap.
More news: Patrick Mahomes’ Week 1 Return Raises ‘Significant Concerns’ for Ex-NFL QB More news: Vikings’ Latest QB Move Reveals Where JJ McCarthy Really Stands Lake signed a three-year, $42 million extension in January after two strong seasons with the Rams. In 2024, he racked up a career-high 111 combined tackles — the second-highest total on the team — along with one tackle for loss, two quarterback hits, two sacks and five pass breakups. Last season was cut short by an elbow injury, limiting him to just 10 games, but he still finished with 61 tackles, two tackles for loss, two QB hits, 10 pass breakups, one interception, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one sack.
A sixth-round pick in 2022 out of UCLA, the California native has quickly become one of the Rams' most valuable defenders — and taking a pay cut to help bring in a franchise icon like Donald says a lot about the kind of leader he's become. He's set to enter the 2026 season as a team captain for the third straight year. As for Donald, he's already earned nearly $160 million over his career with the Rams before this season, so this obviously isn't about the paycheck for him.
What it does show is just how much the organization — and his teammates — are willing to sacrifice to get him back on the field. More news: NCAA Issues Major Rule Change After Michigan-Western Michigan Controversy
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