Aaron Donald of Los Angeles Rams looking on.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – SEPTEMBER 10: Aaron Donald #99 of the Los Angeles Rams looks on against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half at Lumen Field on September 10, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
A massive trade proposal has the Los Angeles Rams continuing their retool by dealing franchise star Aaron Donald to a Super Bowl contender over in the AFC.

Donald’s name has been brought up in trade rumors over the past year, even though the Rams haven’t at all indicated that they’re shopping the three-time Defensive Player of the Year. But as we saw with the Jalen Ramsey trade last year, GM Les Snead isn’t shy in moving on from a franchise star when he believes a change is necessary.

 

Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay proposed a trade idea that has the Rams sending their superstar defensive tackle to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for the No. 18 and No. 80 draft selections:
“Although Cincinnati had its championship dreams dashed by an unforgettable Donald sack two years ago, the city would likely forgive him if he’s traded to the Bengals. He’s one of the few players capable of collapsing the pocket seemingly at will, and he would help Cincinnati execute the same type of plan for stopping Patrick Mahomes that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers provided the league when they handed him his lone Super Bowl loss three years ago.

The costs of making such a deal could be interesting, as compensation would likely hinge on Donald’s desire to continue playing beyond 2024. Regardless, the Bengals should have no qualms about coughing up their first-rounder and more to get even a single season of high-level play from the future Hall of Famer.”

There aren’t many game-changing defensive players of Donald’s caliber out there, but one can’t forget that Donald previously considered retirement. For Cincy, this trade only makes sense if Donald to agree to a multi-year extension.

But if the Rams make Donald available, of course the Bengals should pursue it. Donald is one of the few players who can single-handedly take over a game, as the Bengals learned back in Super Bowl 56.