The Los Angeles Rams got a major boost from Aaron Donald’s return Monday night. The star defensive tackle returned to NFL action for the first time in 32 months during Los Angeles’ 28-6 win over the New York Giants at SoFi Stadium.

Though he later revealed that his children were not exactly convinced he was ready to make his comeback.

Before the game, however, his kids made sure he did not get too caught up in the excitement surrounding his return. Rather than treating their father like a returning star, they questioned whether he could still handle the demands of an NFL game after spending two years away from football.

Speaking postgame with ESPN's Laura Rutledge, Donald revealed what it meant to him to have his kids’ support during his NFL return.

“It means everything,” he told Rutledge. “They've been excited. They called me this morning at least 20 times. They were just ready to see daddy play football. To see my family here supporting me, it made it that much better.”

"[My kids] called me at least 20 times saying, 'I'm ready to see daddy to play football.'"

Aaron Donald shares how excited his kids were to see him return 🙌

(via @espn)pic.twitter.com/ZXrXwPUq7Q

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 22, 2026

The 35-year-old played 32 defensive snaps as the Rams carefully managed his workload and finished with three tackles and a tackle for loss. He also helped Los Angeles control the interior of the line as the defense held the Giants to just six points.

Donald’s return came after he spent two seasons away from the NFL following his retirement in January 2024.

The Rams responded with one of their best defensive performances of the young season. Los Angeles bounced back from its Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers and improved to 1-1.