Aaron Donald granted two-game roster exemption as Rams officially reinstate him
The NFL Commissioner granted Aaron Donald a two-game roster exemption upon his official reinstatement to the Rams' active roster Sunday, keeping him off the 53-man count until Sept. 11.
Aaron Donald's return to the Los Angeles Rams is now official — and the league is giving the franchise a short-term roster cushion as he ramps back up. Tom Pelissero reported the Commissioner granted Donald a two-game roster exemption after his reinstatement to the active roster Sunday.
Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero): The Commissioner has granted a two-game roster exemption for Rams DT Aaron Donald, who was officially reinstated to the active roster today. The roster exemption will expire on Friday, Sept. 11.
The exemption means Donald will not count against Los Angeles' 53-man roster for the first two games of the season, expiring Friday, Sept. 11. He was officially reinstated to the active roster earlier in the day, capping a stunning reversal of the retirement he announced in 2024.
The mechanics matter: Donald is back on the team, but the Rams gain roughly two weeks of flexibility before his contract must occupy a permanent roster spot. That buys time as the club sorts out its opening depth chart. The exemption is a standard mechanism in these comeback situations, and it lets the Rams carry an extra body through the early slate without immediately parting with another player to make room.