Donald progressing in practice, McVay not planning IR move
Aaron Donald is being ramped up for a potential Week 5 return, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said, and the club does not expect to place him on injured reserve. Donald practiced in a limited capacity on Thursday and has been used in a partial role so far this season, logging roughly a 54% snap rate.
The team has been cautious with Donald's workload as the season has started, but McVay indicated the plan is to increase his reps as long as he responds to the ramp-up. Donald’s name was a surprise addition to the injury report last week after McVay said he had a sore back following the game; the coach said the back will be monitored to determine availability.
Contractually, a sizable portion of Donald’s current deal is structured as per-game roster bonuses that do not require him to play in games to be earned; he only needs to remain on the Rams’ 53-man roster to collect those bonuses.
Rams hopeful three starters will be available for Monday night
The Rams entered Week 5 with cautious optimism about getting multiple starters back for Monday night's game against the Buffalo Bills. On the initial injury report, Aaron Donald, Colby Parkinson and Jaylen Watson were all listed as limited participants.
Sports Illustrated reports the organization is hopeful that Donald, Parkinson and Watson will be available against Buffalo. The outlet also noted that “all indications” point toward Donald being able to play Monday night, though that remains an expectation rather than a confirmed status.
Colby Parkinson, the Rams’ tight end, was inactive last week with an AC sprain in his shoulder. McVay described Parkinson’s progress as “very positive” and said the staff will be smart about the number of reps he takes in practice.
On Jaylen Watson, McVay framed the decision as dependent on how the player feels and how he can perform physically. “I want to see how Jaylen feels,” McVay said. “We'll get a little shoulder harness out there, [see] how he's going to be able to block destruct.” Those comments underline the team’s incremental approach to returning players to full duty.
McVay added a broader view on the group’s rehab trajectories: “The expectation is that as long as they progress accordingly then they'll be ready to go.” That projection makes availability conditional on how each player responds in the next few practices.
For now, the Rams are balancing short-term availability with long-term health. Donald’s limited practice work and the team’s decision not to pursue an IR designation point to a plan centered on gradual increases in workload — provided there are no setbacks in his recovery.
