Aaron Donald Set to Face 49ers After Comeback
Kyle Shanahan says the 49ers are treating Aaron Donald's return as certain for Week 1 in Melbourne, even without McVay's confirmation.
Kyle Shanahan says the San Francisco 49ers have never celebrated an offseason event as hard as Aaron Donald's retirement in 2024. This year, he said, the reaction inside the building to Donald's return was the exact opposite.
He reversed that decision this year and rejoined the Rams about a week and a half before Week 1, a road game against the 49ers in Melbourne, Australia.
Rams coach Sean McVay has not yet confirmed Donald will play in that game. Shanahan said he is not waiting for that confirmation.
Donald has faced the 49ers 18 times in the regular season, recording 12.5 sacks and forcing three fumbles.
The 49ers have already named George Kittle and Nick Bosa among the players making the trip to Australia, though Kittle's own status for the game remains unresolved. McVay, for his part, has said he expects Puka Nacua and Alaric Jackson to face San Francisco in the opener.
If Donald does take the field in Melbourne, it puts a 35-year-old with a long individual record against San Francisco back in a game Shanahan has clearly been planning for as though it were already settled.
About this article
Prepared by the editorial team with the help of algorithms, based on the sources listed