Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald's future was a topic of rampant speculation soon after Los Angeles defeated the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.
With his illustrious resume finally punctuated by a Super Bowl title, and his future place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame all but assured, the seven-time All-Pro seemingly had little else to play for.
But according to Donald himself, the "addictive" thrill of victory is what prevented him from calling it a career.
"Honestly, if I wouldn't have won the Super Bowl, I probably wouldn't be playing football right now," Donald said on The Zach Gelb Show on Wednesday. "It's kind of addictive. When you accomplish something like that, it's hard to just walk away without trying to do it all over again.
"My motivation is just trying to relive that all over again. I want to accomplish that again. From the preparation, to winning the Super Bowl, to celebrating with my family -- I want to relieve that all over again. ... My mind is I got to accomplish that again. I'm not satisfied with just one."
In fact, Donald might not have reached the pinnacle of the sport were it not for his own heroic efforts against the Bengals, particularly in the second half. He took over late in the game, helping to force a turnover on downs on Cincinnati's final drive, which all but sealed the Rams' win.
Donald wasn't awarded the MVP for his huge game -- it instead went to Cooper Kupp -- but he very easily could have, and by some estimates probably should have. But to Donald, it made little difference.
"I wasn't worried about it - I was too busy hugging the trophy. [Kupp] deserved it, he earned it. It wasn't a goal of mine. My main goal was to just accomplish winning the Super Bowl, and we did that. I wasn't even thinking about it, we were all in the moment and just enjoying it."
Told by Gelb that Rams legend Isaac Bruce was among those who thought the award should have gone to Donald, the 31-year-old superstar was all too modest.
"But we don't win the game if Cooper Kupp doesn't score -- if Stafford and him don't connect on that deep ball, and then make the score. So it's a team effort man. I don't score touchdowns, I make plays on defense. ... It works hand and hand."
While Donald's potential retirement was the talk of the early offseason, he also made waves during the preseason after an ugly incident during a joint practice with the same Bengals team that he helped vanquish in February. Donald was seen swinging a helmet during a scuffle that ended the practice prematurely.
Asked about it by Gelb, Donald declined to address any specifics, instead saying he was looking forward to his team's regular-season opener against the Buffalo Bills.
Donald seemingly evaded punishment by the league, which apparently is not responsible for policing practices. Donald was then asked whether he faced any repercussions from the Rams.
"We talked," he said.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram