For a full decade, Aaron Donald was a major disruption in the NFL to opposing quarterbacks, running backs, and offensive linemen.
While he’s used to shocking people on the field with his elite talent, speed, and strength, Donald recently shocked everyone off the field when he announced his retirement.
Offenses around the league are no doubt breathing a sigh of relief as they no longer have to worry about how to deal with one of the best defensive linemen in the game.
A number of players have recently taken to social media to give their opinions of just how good Donald was, including cornerback Greg Newsome II of the Cleveland Browns (via Greg Newsome II on Twitter).
— Greg Newsome II (@gnewsii) March 16, 2024
There’s no doubt that Donald will go down in history as one of the greatest defensive players of all time.
And, according to Newsome, he’s the best of the best.
Donald is one of only three players to ever win the Defensive Player of the Year Award three times, as he joins legends J.J. Watt and Lawrence Taylor in that respect.
He had 111 career sacks, including six seasons with at least 10, and was a First-Team All-Pro selection eight times.
The only knock against Donald is that he only played for 10 seasons, which is substantially fewer than other legendary linemen like Bruce Smith, Reggie White, Julius Peppers, and Michael Strahan.
However, no matter where you rank him on your list of all-time defensive greats, there’s no doubt that Donald was one of the most dominating and impactful players of his time.
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