Aaron Donald's potential 2026 return remains unsettled two-plus years after his 2023 retirement, with recent on-field workouts at Rams facilities, Sean McVay's comments that a comeback is "trending upward," and intrigue over the Myles Garrett acquisition creating meaningful "Yes" momentum. At age 35, however, the former Defensive Player of the Year has not committed, has cited physical readiness testing, and could delay any decision into training camp, supporting the narrow trader lean toward "No." Competitive balance stems from his proven dominance and roster fit versus age-related durability questions and the absence of an official signing or firm retirement statement. Late-August developments such as a physical clearance, contract agreement, or explicit decision against returning would likely shift probabilities sharply in either direction before the regular season begins.