The Rams may not know whether Aaron Donald will be ready for Week 1.
For the 49ers, that uncertainty could be the problem.
Donald returned to the Rams on Sunday after more than two years away from football, leaving Los Angeles just over a week to determine whether the 35-year-old can be ready for its opener against San Francisco in Australia.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported Tuesday that a later debut currently appears more likely.
“I would say, based on everything I’ve been told, a Week 2 or 3 debut looks more likely than Week 1,” Graziano said on “NFL Live.” “But again, it’s still on the table.”
And keeping it on the table may have some value.
The 49ers cannot simply assume Donald will watch from the sideline. Preparing for him means accounting for where he could line up, altering protections and deciding where to send extra blockers — already a difficult proposition with Myles Garrett now occupying the same Rams defensive front.
Even if Donald ultimately does not play, San Francisco still has to spend part of its preparation acting as though he might.
That is an advantage NFL Daily’s Jourdan Rodrigue believes could extend beyond Week 1 as the Rams gradually build Donald’s workload.
“It’s a mind game for everybody else,” Rodrigue said, noting opponents once devoted considerable preparation to adjusting protections around Donald. “You won’t be able to tendency-predict week over week. And I think it plays to the Rams’ benefit.”
Donald’s early role could be situational and change from game to game, making it harder for opponents to know when — or how often — they will see No. 99.
Los Angeles has the depth to be patient. Graziano said the Rams believe they can monitor Donald’s workload early rather than rush him back, adding that “the goal is to win the Super Bowl, not to max him out in weeks one, two, three.”
Donald participated only in individual work during his first practice Sunday before receiving a planned day off Monday.
Sean McVay has said there is “absolutely” a chance Donald misses the opener, while refusing to rule him out.
That leaves San Francisco preparing for both possibilities.
Whether the Rams planned it this way or not, Donald’s ramp-up has given McVay one more weapon heading into Week 1:
Uncertainty.
