THOUSAND OAKS — Aaron Donald is ready for a big day when the Rams play the Lions on Sunday. He has been limbering up his thumbs all week.
The Rams defensive tackle tapped out texts to Lions quarterback Jared Goff, joking about what he’s going to do to his former teammate when they meet for the first time in something other than a no-touch practice setting.
“I told him, ‘Get ready!’ I told him I’m going to come after him. He knows what it is,” Donald said with a smile after the Rams’ practice Thursday. “I’m going to go out there and try and fly around and try to make my plays. Hopefully I get to him a couple of times.
“He said something funny back, but that’s between me and him.”
When he isn’t kidding with Goff, Donald has been dialing up FaceTime conversations with Lions defensive end Michael Brockers, the other old Rams teammate returning to L.A.
“We talk every week. We’ve got a real brotherhood,” Donald said of the conversations that include Rams nose tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day and ex-Rams, now-Carolina Panthers defensive end Morgan Fox.
“We’re going to get after him, but it’s going to be love after the game.”
The game between the Rams (5-1) and Lions (0-6) at SoFi Stadium will mark the first time quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Goff face their former teams since they were traded for each other last winter in a deal that also sent three draft picks to Detroit.
Less attention-getting, but just as meaningful to Rams players and coaches, it’s the first time they’ll face Brockers since his nine-year career with the St. Louis and L.A. Rams ended with a trade to the Lions during the free-agency period in March.
The Rams wanted to keep Brockers. But he declined a pay cut to help them meet the salary cap. A year after his free-agent signing with the Baltimore Ravens fell through because of trouble with an ankle, he was gone for real.
It’s the Lions’ gain. Brockers will be 31 in December. Detroit’s defensive-line rotation includes 21-, 23- and 24-year-olds.
“Brockers has been a godsend,” Lions coach Dan Campbell told L.A. writers in a conference call. “It’s one of the reasons we made the move we did with him, not only the player, the production he brings, but, man, his leadership has been outstanding.
“He shows all our young guys, especially those guys up front, this is how you practice, this is how you go to work, this is how you approach your craft, this is how you prepare for business.”
Brockers, a captain with the Rams, has a locker-room presence bigger than his 6-foot-5, nearly 300-pound frame.
But that’s not to overlook his on-the-field presence. Filling the void left by Brockers and free-agent departee Fox has required more snaps for Joseph-Day, A’Shawn Robinson, Greg Gaines, Mike Hoecht and Jonah Williams. The Rams’ run defense has slipped from No. 3 in the NFL (3.8 yards a carry) in 2020 to No. 20 (4.4) in 2021.
“He was a solid run player for us,” Donald said. “Guys like A’Shawn have stepped up there and tried to fill some big shoes with Brock being gone and (they’re) doing a great job for us.
“We definitely miss him.”
Like Goff, who said he felt “sourness” after his trade, Brockers acknowledged his feelings about returning to L.A.
“It’s the next (game),” Brockers told Detroit writers. “I’m very professional about how I go about my business. Yes, I do have a lot of ex-teammates on that team and a lot of good friends.
“There was no love lost between me and the Rams when I left, so it was just about understanding being a pro. I made a pro decision, I came here, we’re in this position and we’ve just got to move forward.”
Donald said he didn’t think it will feel weird to play against Goff, his teammate for five seasons.
“We’re going to do our job and get after him and try to have some success,” Donald said.
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</aside>But his emotions might be thicker when he sees Brockers in a Lions uniform after they played side-by-side for seven seasons in Rams colors.
“He’s known me since Day 1,” Donald said of Brockers. “You build a bond with somebody, like a real brotherhood, somebody you’re close with outside of football, you hang with a lot.
“I wish he was still here. But he’s not.”
He’s a FaceTime connection away.
NOTES
Running back Sony Michel (shoulder) returned to practice on a limited basis Thursday, according to the Rams’ injury report. Center Brian Allen (illness) missed practice. No Lions missed practice with injuries.
