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Aaron Donald ends retirement: Ranking NFL's greatest comeback stories
CBS Sports • • general
Key Points:
- Aaron Donald, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, is unretiring to rejoin the Rams after two years away, joining an elite group of pass rushers who have come out of retirement.
- The article ranks the best NFL second acts, highlighting players like Randy Moss, Reggie White, Deion Sanders, Tom Brady, and Rob Gronkowski, who made significant impacts after returning from retirement.
- Notable comebacks include John Riggins, who returned in 1981 to lead Washington to a Super Bowl victory and earned Super Bowl MVP honors, and Brett Favre, who had an MVP-caliber season with the Vikings after returning in 2009.
- Defensive legends like James Harrison and Ed "Too Tall" Jones also had impactful returns, contributing to playoff runs and earning Pro Bowl selections post-retirement.
- The list underscores the varied reasons for unretirement, from injury replacements to personal motivations, and the lasting legacies these players cemented during their second acts.
