Donald vows to be even better next season
NFL offenses beware: two-time defending Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald has promised to be even better next season.
The Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle was the most dominant defender in football the past two seasons and, according to Donald, 2019 should be no different.
"That's just my mindset. Never allow yourself to be satisfied or comfortable," Donald said in his exit interview Tuesday, according to Rich Hammond of the Orange County Register. "As long as I stay like that, stay hungry, I'll be fine. I'm definitely going to come back next year better than I was."
Donald recorded 11 sacks and five forced fumbles in just 14 games in 2017. This season, he led the league in sacks with 20.5, the most by an interior lineman in NFL history.
The 27-year-old has enjoyed enormous success despite skipping training camp in each of the past two seasons due to contract disputes. Donald apparently intends to end that streak this summer:
Aaron Donald, when I asked if we’d see him at training camp, “Yeah,” he said, chuckling.
— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) February 5, 2019