Aaron Donald: ‘I’m not where I want to be’ for Week 1 but I’m getting better

Aaron Donald is never satisfied, no matter how much he’s accomplished or how dominant he is on the field. This offseason, he said he feels like he has to make a name for himself again after a down year in 2022, which was only because of an ankle injury that caused him to miss the end of the season.

Heading into Week 1, he’s not content with where his game is at. There’s still plenty of time for him to get to where he wants to be, but he’s not quite there yet.

“I feel like I’m not where I want to be, but I feel like I’m getting better obviously,” Donald said after practice Thursday. “I did some good things today. I did some things that I didn’t like. Me personally, I didn’t think I had the type of practice that I wanted to, so I just got to watch the film and see what I did wrong or see what I need to do better. I’m always my worst critic, just got to continue to study, continue trying to find ways to be better.”

Donald only got in one day of practice against the Raiders this week, but it was a productive one. According to those in attendance, he was his usually disruptive self, causing problems for the Raiders offense.

Here’s what Stu Jackson of TheRams.com wrote about Donald’s performance on Thursday:

Regardless of how Donald feels about his game right now, he’s going to be in peak form for the start of the season. He even said this summer that he feels he’s in the best shape of his life after rehabbing his ankle injury.

“I’m in the weight room, conditioning, making sure that I’m able to move how I need to move. And honestly, I’m in the best shape of my life,” he said via Haute Living.

There’s no reason to worry about Donald not being where he wants to be. No one has higher standards for him than himself.

Story originally appeared on Rams Wire