{
  "id": 4850287,
  "title": "Aaron Donald's absence from Monday's practice \"part of the plan all along\"",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/aaron-donalds-absence-from-mondays-practice-part-of-the-plan-all-along",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-01T11:33:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/aaron-donalds-absence-mondays-practice-113322653.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Aaron Donald, the three-time defensive player of the year, officially returned to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday for his first practice with the team. However, he was notably absent from Monday's practice. Rams head coach Sean McVay revealed that Donald's absence was a deliberate part of the plan from the beginning, stating it was part of the plan all along for the defensive tackle. As the team prepares for their Week 1 game against the 49ers in Melbourne, McVay emphasized that they will wait and see where Donald's participation takes them. McVay cautioned against setting unnecessary parameters or guidelines, stating that sometimes such restrictions can skew outcomes. He added that if Donald is not ready or if it's not the best decision for both him and the team, they absolutely wouldn't have him play in Australia. The participation of defensive end Myles Garrett will also be closely monitored as the team awaits Donald's return to the field.",
  "summary": "Aaron Donald officially came out of retirement and practiced with the Rams on Sunday, but the three-time defensive player of the year was not on the field with the team on Monday.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "John Lynch shares how the San Francisco 49ers actually feel about Aaron Donald’s return",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/john-lynch-shares-how-the-san-francisco-49ers-actually-feel-about",
        "published": "2026-09-01T10:45:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}