The List Of Ailing Los Angeles Rams Grows With Aaron Donald The Latest To Be Pointed Toward The Sidelines

Not even Aaron Donald can duck the Los Angeles Rams’ injury woes.

Donald, the three-time NFL defensive player of the year, suffered a high ankle sprain in the Rams’ fifth straight loss on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.

It’s possible that Donald won’t be able to go this week as cellar-dwelling L.A. entertains the second-place Seattle Seahawks (6-5) after completing their second-straight win-less November.

Coach Sean McVay said more will be known about Donald’s availability after he meets with team doctors on Wednesday.

Donald’s ailment is just another black cloud to surround the defending Super Bowl champion Rams (3-8). It’s plausible that Donald could be shut down for an extended period, and with just a month left on the regular-season schedule, that might mean for the remainder of L.A.’s dreadful year.

To put the Rams’ injuries to key personnel in perspective, many of their highest-paid players might be minus pads on Sunday. If Donald is idle, that means $75.6 million worth of the team’s salary cap, according to spotrac.com, will be sidelined.

Donald tops the Rams’ payroll with a salary-cap hit this year of $27 million and he’ll have plenty of company in expensive street clothes if not active.

Others that aren’t expected to play, or have already been ruled out because of injuries, include wide receiver Cooper Kupp ($17.8 million cap hit) and Allen Robinson ($4.3M), quarterback Matthew Stafford ($13.5M), defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson ($9.5M) and left tackle Joseph Noteboom ($3.5M).

That’s a lot of dough, and production, likely unable to help the fading Rams escape their rut. Donald, Kupp, and Robinson are Pro Bowl players and their absence is critical.

Donald, 31, contemplated retirement after the Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl 56 last season, but the defensive tackle was enticed back after the Rams sweeten his contract. He signed a three-year, $95 million extension with all the compensation being guaranteed.

The durable Donald has missed but two of his possible 140 regular-season games over his career, which is in its ninth year and has included eight Pro Bowl selections and him being named All-Pro seven times. Donald’s output hasn’t diminished this year with a team-high five sacks and 49 tackles.