Rams QB Matthew Stafford reveals the best defensive lineman he ever played against (and with)

Matthew Stafford is entering his 17th season in the NFL and he’s faced his fair share of tough defenses. On an episode of Travis and Jason Kelce’s podcast “New Heights”, Stafford revealed the scariest defensive lineman he ever faced, and it turns out he’s even tough as a teammate sometimes too.

“He just wrecked practices”

Stafford played with two of the best defensive tackles in recent years - Ndamukong Suh and Aaron Donald. But according to Stafford, Donald was a cut above the rest.

“AD was...it was a different deal because the get-off was crazy,” said Stafford. “He just wrecked practices...AD, there was something different. Just watching him go about his job every single day."

Stafford also mentioned how much respect Donald commanded from opposing offenses. Jason Kelce admitted that he and his Eagles teammates “treated him differently than any other defensive tackle we ever played”.

Stafford also gushed about how smart of a player Donald was too.

“You sit down, you talk to him. He’s like, ‘yeah I knew if I wasn’t doubled... if the center didn’t come to me, it’s run away. Because the center comes to me every pass play. If a center comes to me, it’s pass or it’s run to. Center goes away, you’re not blocking me with two.’ So he knew it was run away. And then he’s shooting that backside gap.“

“I mean, he could make decisions and go that that quickly. And it was impressive to be around him and watch him work.”

He told an anecdote about how intense Donald was in the weight room too and his complete lack of chill. He once invited a Make-a-Wish kid to work out with him, resulting in the kid “puking in the weight room”. The stories about AD’s ridiculous monster strength were endless.

“I remember when I was in Detroit. We’re playing a game against the Rams. And I drop back to pass late in the game. We need a play. Aaron - I have two hands on the ball right like this - and Aaron just comes up from behind me and just rips both my biceps apart," Stafford laughed.

He said he asked Donald what he’s supposed to do in that situation and he replied simply, “You gotta find a way to hold onto it.”

Indeed, Aaron Donald is widely regarded as one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history. In his 10 seasons in the NFL, he racked up 10 Pro Bowl selections and was named First-Team All-Pro eight times. Donald won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award three times (2017, 2018, 2020), joining only Lawrence Taylor and J.J. Watt in that elite company. He recorded over 100 career sacks, a rare feat for a defensive tackle.

Donald helped lead the Rams to a Super Bowl LVI victory in the 2021 season - Stafford’s first season as the Rams’ quarterback - sealing the win with a game-clinching pressure on Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. His combination of strength, speed, and technique made him a nightmare for opposing offenses and a lock for the Hall of Fame.

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