Pittsburgh Professional Athletes

The biggest story in Los Angeles right now isn't on the field — it's a decision that hasn't been made yet.

Pitt legend Aaron Donald has kept the entire Rams organization in a holding pattern deep into the preseason, with head coach Sean McVay admitting after the team's final preseason game — a dominant 34-0 rout of the New Orleans Saints — that he still has no idea whether his Hall-of-Fame defensive tackle is coming back. The season opener is less than two weeks away.

The Rams have been forced to prepare two separate 53-man roster configurations: one with Donald, one without. It's an extraordinary logistical accommodation for a player who retired in 2024 but has left the door open ever since — a situation that speaks as much to Donald's irreplaceable value as it does to the awkwardness hanging over the franchise.

The Holdup

Contract structure appears to be the sticking point. Per Bleacher Report, Donald is not willing to return without compensation — bluntly put, he won't "play for free." One creative solution reportedly on the table involves performance incentives and void years to structure a deal that works for both sides, with one report noting that money itself isn't necessarily the core obstacle, but the framework around it is. McVay has made clear the Rams are ready to move forward either way, but it's difficult to read that as anything other than a negotiating posture. You don't prep dual rosters for a player you're indifferent about.

Donald himself added fuel to return speculation after the Saints blowout, though specifics of what he said or did were left conspicuously vague — exactly the kind of ambiguity that has defined this entire saga.

Meanwhile, in Arizona

While Donald's situation commands the national spotlight, fellow Pitt alum James Conner is dealing with his own uncertainty across the desert. The Cardinals are unsure whether Conner will be ready for their Week 1 matchup against the Chargers, adding another layer of intrigue to an Arizona backfield already in flux.

The timing is notable: Arizona recently waived Trey Benson, the third-round back who was drafted specifically as Conner's eventual successor. Benson's departure after two injury-riddled seasons leaves Conner as the unambiguous focal point of the Cardinals' ground game — if he's healthy enough to play. His status entering the final week before kickoff is one to watch.

The Bottom Line

Two Pitt alumni. Two organizations on edge. Donald's situation is the rarer kind — a generational talent whose legacy is fully cemented, toying with the idea of one more chapter, while a franchise rebuilds its entire defensive identity around the answer. Conner's is more familiar: a veteran running back grinding through the injury management that defines the back half of NFL careers.

For Pitt fans, this is an unusual moment. The school's two most prominent NFL names are both question marks heading into Week 1 — though the questions couldn't be more different in scale or stakes.

The Donald Watch

Two workouts. Zero answers. Maximum drama.

Aaron Donald, the Pittsburgh legend who retired in March 2023 as arguably the greatest defensive tackle in NFL history, completed his second official workout with the Los Angeles Rams on August 16 — and the football world is still holding its breath. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year appeared on the league's transaction wire following the session, a procedural formality that nonetheless lit up every NFL news feed from coast to coast.

Rams head coach Sean McVay has been carefully threading the needle in his public comments, describing Donald's workouts as "part of his process" while repeatedly refusing to set any hard deadline. "I don't want to put an invisible deadline on it," McVay said, adding elsewhere that he hoped to have an answer "sooner than later" but that the timeline is "going to be on his timeline." The deference speaks volumes: when the player in question is a future first-ballot Hall of Famer, you wait.

The broader football community isn't exactly staying calm, though. Pittsburgh legend Jerome Bettis weighed in with a stark warning, predicting that the Rams would be a problem for the entire NFL if Donald suits up again. It's not hyperbole — Donald was still posting elite production before he walked away, and the Rams' defensive front is a very different unit without him.

Even Donald's wife, Erica, got in on the spectacle, posting a Carmelo Anthony "stay or go" meme on social media after the second workout dropped. The post went viral almost instantly, capturing the collective exasperation and amusement of a fanbase that has been living in limbo all summer. The family's sense of humor about the situation suggests no decision is imminent — but no one is ruling anything out either.

The first workout took place on August 5. The second followed on August 16. McVay has indicated more sessions are likely before Donald makes his call. At 35, coming back from over two years away from NFL competition, the physical evaluation clearly matters. But so does whatever is happening internally for Donald, who left the game on his own terms and now seems to be carefully reconsidering whether those terms have changed.

Another Pitt Alum Making Noise in LA

While Donald's saga dominates the headlines, fellow Panther Konata Mumpfield is quietly carving out a roster spot with the same Rams squad. McVay praised Mumpfield for his ability to compete beyond the catch — blocking, route running, and effort away from the ball — during the team's preseason camp. For a wide receiver trying to stick on an NFL roster, that kind of praise from the head coach matters.

Hamlin Delivers a Moment

Away from Los Angeles, Damar Hamlin gave fans a feel-good preseason moment when the Bills safety intercepted Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders and celebrated by breaking out the "watch flex" — a nod to a viral moment from earlier in the year. It was a lighthearted highlight in what is typically a quiet stretch of the NFL calendar, and a reminder that Hamlin continues to hold a roster spot in Buffalo.

The biggest story out of the Pitt alumni network, though, remains Donald's unresolved return — a saga that has no clear ending date, only more workouts and more waiting.

The Wait Continues in L.A.

No Pitt alumni story in the NFL right now comes close to Aaron Donald's — and frankly, no story in the entire league does either.

The greatest defensive player of his generation has spent the past week doing everything a retiree isn't supposed to do: working out at the Rams' facility, going rep-for-rep with young pass rushers, and looking, by multiple accounts, absolutely terrifying. A workout video dropped Monday showing Donald in midseason form alongside Rams defensive lineman Braden Fiske — and at least one current Rams teammate reportedly came away shaken by what he saw. That's not the kind of report that comes out of a casual, low-stakes gym session.

New-acquisition Myles Garrett added fuel to the fire, saying Donald's possible return was driven in part by Garrett's own arrival in Los Angeles. "The fact that my addition to the Rams made him want to get off the couch makes me think that he was always looking for a reason to get up — he just needed that spark," Garrett told reporters. That quote alone tells you how seriously the Rams are treating this.

And yet: no decision. Reports this week indicated Donald's internal timeline has shifted slightly later than previously expected, and the Rams appear content to wait him out. With the preseason now underway, the window isn't infinite — but Los Angeles isn't applying public pressure. The franchise knows what Donald brings, and they're letting him get there on his own terms.

Not everyone is bullish. At least one ESPN analyst poured cold water on the reunion this week, raising questions about whether a 34-year-old coming out of retirement mid-preseason is a realistic path back to dominance, even for Donald. Meanwhile, despite the Donald buzz and the Garrett trade, Seattle voters in a recent fan poll still favored the Seahawks to lead the NFC West in sacks — a reminder that perception and reality don't always sync during the speculation season.

The Pittsburgh connection here is meaningful. Donald played his college ball under Pat Narduzzi's predecessor at Pitt, developing into a first-round pick and, eventually, the most disruptive force on the defensive line the modern NFL has seen. If he laces up again for the Rams, it'll be one of the more compelling second acts in recent sports memory.

Elsewhere Around the League

Damar Hamlin had a moment worth noting this week, reuniting with the trainer who administered CPR during his cardiac arrest in January 2023. The video from Bills preseason camp circulated widely — a reminder of how far the Buffalo safety has come, and how significant his continued presence in the NFL remains beyond the stat sheet.

Jason Pinnock is in the middle of an interesting camp battle in East Rutherford. The Giants safety spoke publicly about competing for a starting role alongside Tyler Nubin in coordinator Dennard Wilson's new defense — an "awkward" competition, Pinnock acknowledged, given the two are close friends. Pinnock is fighting to hold his spot against the younger Nubin.

Ben Sauls, the second-year kicker from Pitt, had a rougher week at Giants camp. Undrafted free agent Dominic Zvada finished Wednesday's practice by drilling a 62-yard field goal in a simulated game-winning scenario — a statement kick that essentially stamped Zvada as the frontrunner to win the placekicking job Sauls currently holds.

Damarri Mathis was placed on injured reserve by the Browns, ending his week on an abrupt note.

The Donald saga remains the headline — and Pitt fans should be refreshing their feeds accordingly.

Two Pitt alumni dominated NFL headlines this preseason week — one trying to get back in, the other potentially on his way out.

Aaron Donald Is Coming Back (Probably)

The buzz around Aaron Donald's Rams comeback crossed from rumor to reality this week when the three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year completed a formal workout with Los Angeles during training camp. Because Donald used team equipment, the Rams were required to log the session on the NFL transaction wire — the clearest signal yet that this isn't just a flirtation.

Head coach Sean McVay didn't hide his enthusiasm. McVay praised Donald's showing after the workout, and defensive coordinator Chris Shula went further, saying he'd be "really excited" about Donald's return — particularly with the prospect of pairing the Pitt product alongside newly acquired edge rusher Myles Garrett. The workout itself was structured to help Donald evaluate how he felt with a helmet and pads back on after retiring in March 2024, per Pro Football Talk.

NFL insiders are already projecting timelines. CBS Sports reported a decision could come as early as next week, while Bleacher Report cited league sources suggesting Donald could operate on a limited snap count if he does return — a concession to managing the load on a player who turns 35 in May. FanSided has already begun projecting his spot back into the Rams' defensive depth chart. The WSJ framed it simply: a stacked roster and the lure of another Super Bowl run may be too tempting for Donald to walk away from permanently.

Nothing is signed. But at this point, the burden of proof has shifted to those who think he won't be back.

Kenny Pickett Starts — and May Be Packing

Meanwhile in Carolina, Kenny Pickett got the starting nod for the Panthers in the Hall of Fame Game against the Cardinals on Thursday — a decidedly unglamorous assignment that speaks to where he stands on the depth chart. Pickett took the field while most of Carolina's key players sat, per Pro Football Talk.

The timing is notable. FanSided is already floating trade packages Carolina should consider after backup competition Haynes King had a strong showing, arguing the Panthers may have found their new No. 2 — which would make Pickett redundant and movable. Pickett, the 20th overall pick in 2022 and a Pittsburgh native, has never fully seized a starting role since leaving Pitt for the NFL Draft, bouncing from the Steelers to the Eagles before landing in Carolina.

A Hall of Fame Game start as the ostensible starter while trade rumors swirl is an awkward position, even by preseason standards. Pickett's next address in the NFL may depend on which team decides his arm is worth a late-round pick before the roster cutdown deadline.

One More Panther to Watch

Patrick Jones II, another Pitt product on Carolina's roster at linebacker, is also in camp as the Panthers sort out their roster. His status hasn't generated the same headlines as Pickett's, but with roster moves likely coming, Pitt fans have more than one alumnus to track on the Panthers' depth chart.

It's a week that captures the full spectrum of an NFL alumni base: one legend potentially rewriting his retirement story, one former top pick fighting to stay relevant, and a roster full of Panthers trying to make the cut.