The Seattle Seahawks' path back to the Super Bowl got much tougher with Aaron Donald rejoining the Los Angeles Rams. After competing for the NFC title last season, the Seahawks and Rams begin the 2026 campaign as two of the league's top title contenders. Yet the Rams have usurped the defending champions as favorites to win the NFC West and conference crown with help from Donald, who returns from retirement to play for the first time in two years.
Donald's comeback certainly caught their competition's attention. Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba shared his reaction to the three-time Defensive Player of the Year's return on FanDuel TV's "Up & Adams." "Getting Aaron Donald here pretty recent, I was like, damn," Smith-Njigba said. But we're accepting the challenge, and we're ready for it.
I mean, this is the league. It's close games with everyone. We understand that's a divisional rival, and that's one we want really bad, but we're just gonna take it one game at a time when we get there." Donald wasn't the Rams' only blockbuster acquisition.
They also made trades for superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett and cornerback Trent McDuffie. Smith-Njigba tipped his cap to Seattle's rival for making huge offseason splashes. "Yeah, they're not playing," he said.
"They went and got those guys. They're very seriously taking on the challenge ... If you're able to do it, you should definitely do it.
So, I think it's definitely good for them." Those star defenders could make the Rams a much tougher matchup for Smith-Njigba in 2026. Including the playoffs, he torched them for 354 yards and two touchdowns in three games last season. Unfortunately for the Seahawks, Donald will have plenty of time to work off any rust before Seattle hosts the Rams on Christmas.
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