The Los Angeles Rams cruised past the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, but Sean McVay could not resist poking a little fun at Aaron Donald for one play that got away from the future Hall of Famer.

Late in the third quarter of the Rams’ 24-9 win at SoFi Stadium, undrafted rookie linebacker Wesley Bailey strip-sacked Justin Herbert at the Chargers’ 26-yard line. The loose ball bounced right toward Donald, giving him a chance at a scoop-and-score.

Instead, the 35-year-old tried to scoop it up near the 20 and whiffed. He stumbled, fell on the ball and knocked it out of bounds, allowing the Chargers to keep possession after a 9-yard loss.

McVay was all smiles when asked about the play after the game.

“Oh man, I’m going to give him such a hard time about that,” McVay said, via Adam Grosbard of the Los Angeles Daily News. “He couldn’t even look at me. At least we can laugh about it right now.”

The Rams head coach also told radio play-by-play voice J.B. Long that he was going to “crush him” for the missed opportunity.

It would have been a special moment for Donald, who has never scored a touchdown in his NFL career. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year retired in March 2024 after 10 seasons, only to come back this summer on a one-year, $20 million deal. His return made the Rams’ defensive front even scarier alongside Myles Garrett, whom Los Angeles acquired from the Cleveland Browns in the offseason.

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Donald has still made his share of plays this season. In the Rams’ Week 5 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football, he fell on a fumble forced by Nate Landman to give Los Angeles the ball with a chance to win.

The miss did not cost the Rams on Sunday. Los Angeles held the Chargers scoreless after halftime, intercepted Herbert twice and dropped the Chargers to 0-7 for the first time since Jim Harbaugh was their quarterback.

The Rams improved to 4-4 with their second straight win. Donald will look for another chance at his first career touchdown when the Rams visit the Washington Commanders next Sunday.