Aaron Donald Comeback Smoke in L.A. | Jul 15, 2026

Show Notes

Aaron Donald comeback rumors heat up around the Rams, the NFL franchise-tag deadline looms, and the Cowboys stir July Super Bowl talk. Plus, Spain knocks out France, Jordan Walker wins the Home Run Derby, and NBA Summer League standouts shine.

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Welcome to The Sports Hangover Daily, I'm Michael Benatar. Today on the show: Aaron Donald comeback smoke in Los Angeles, franchise-tag deadline pressure, Cowboys Super Bowl talk in July, and Spain sending France home. Let’s go.

Aaron Donald was seen working out at the Rams facility, and now the whole NFL internet is acting like somebody found Thanos’ helmet in the locker room.
And honestly? Fair reaction.
PFT’s Mike Florio said momentum is building around a possible Donald unretirement. That alone is enough to make every offensive coordinator in the NFC start stress-eating. Donald retired as one of the best defensive players ever. Three Defensive Player of the Year awards. Ten Pro Bowls. A Super Bowl ring. A decade of ruining guards’ lives for sport.
Now add the Rams angle. This isn’t Donald coming back to some sad reunion tour where everyone claps politely and pretends the old band still sounds good. The Rams already have Myles Garrett in this version of the front. Donald plus Garrett is not a pass rush. That’s a workplace hazard.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh basically looked at the idea and said, “That’s cheating.” He’s not wrong. If Donald is even eighty percent of himself, that changes the Rams from scary to unfair.
The funny part is the Rams are getting accused of milking the suspense. And yeah, this is very L.A. Drag out the reveal. Build the trailer. Let Davante Adams toss a little more gasoline on the rumor pile. Maybe drop a grainy workout clip like it’s a Marvel post-credit scene.
My take? If Donald is doing padded work at the facility, this is past nostalgia. Players don’t just wander into the building and casually recreate terror for fun. Something is brewing. And if the Rams pull this off, the NFC West just got a lot less fun for everyone who enjoys having a functioning quarterback.

The other big NFL clock today is the franchise-tag deadline. Four p.m. Eastern. After that, tagged players can only sign the one-year deal with their current team for twenty twenty-six. No multiyear extension until after the team’s final regular-season game.
That deadline always sounds boring until your best pass rusher, receiver, or tackle is staring at a one-year rental tag and suddenly camp gets weird. Teams love saying, “We value him.” Cool. Then value him with guaranteed money. Otherwise, the player knows exactly what this is — a temporary lease with injury risk attached.
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer also gave us a perfect July quote. He said Super Bowl sixty-one is February fourteenth, twenty twenty-seven, and “we plan on being there.”
I love this. Not because I believe it. Because Cowboys content needs oxygen, and Schottenheimer just opened a window. Dallas hasn’t earned subtlety. They’re the Cowboys. Every training camp quote becomes a congressional hearing. But I’d rather hear a coach say the big thing than mumble about stacking days and competing. Just know the internet will save that clip like tax documents.
Baker Mayfield admitted he played most of twenty twenty-five with a sprained MCL and PCL. That is very Baker. Tough, stubborn, probably a little reckless, and somehow on-brand in a way that makes Tampa fans both proud and nauseous.
There’s a fine line between warrior and “buddy, please tell the medical staff.” Baker lives directly on that line. It explains some of the uneven tape, but it also raises the obvious question: did Tampa protect him from himself? Because quarterbacks will always say they can go. That’s why adults in the building need to be adults.
The Giants got some decent news. Cam Skattebo and Malik Nabers are expected to participate in training camp. That matters because Nabers is the whole juice of that offense. If he’s right, the Giants have at least one guy defenses fear. Without him, it’s a lot of tight-window optimism and fans talking themselves into third-and-seven slants.
And Jerry Jones got booed at AT&T Stadium during Spain-France at the World Cup. Incredible. Different sport. Different crowd. Same result. Jerry appeared on the video board and the building said, “No thanks.” That man can’t even attend international soccer without Cowboys fans filing a complaint.
Portland crushed Minnesota one eleven to eighty-four in NBA Summer League. Yang Hansen had eighteen points, ten rebounds, and five assists. Chris Youngblood added twenty, and that Blazers group looked way more organized than a summer roster has any business looking.
Phoenix beat Milwaukee ninety-five to eighty-eight behind Khaman Maluach. Twenty-one points, ten boards, four blocks. That’s the kind of summer line that makes fans start building fake rotations in July. Dangerous hobby. I’ve done it. It ends with you explaining why a two-way guy should close playoff games.
Spain beat France two to nothing in the World Cup semifinal. Kylian Mbappé took blame afterward, which is what captains do, but France just looked out of ideas. Spain was sharper in the moments that mattered.
And Jordan Walker won the Home Run Derby, beating Kyle Schwarber twelve to eleven in the final at Citizens Bank Park. Great Derby final. Also brutal for Phillies fans watching Schwarber lose by one in his own backyard. That’s a very specific kind of sports pain.

The Hangover Take: Brian Schottenheimer accidentally did the smartest thing a Cowboys coach can do — he put the pressure where it already belongs.
Dallas is not some cute rebuilding team. They don’t get to hide behind “process” talk. The roster is expensive. The owner is loud. The brand is bigger than the results. So yeah, say you plan on being at the Super Bowl.
The Cowboys’ problem for years hasn’t been expectations. It’s been pretending the expectations are unfair. They’re not unfair. They’re the cost of doing business in Dallas.
Schottenheimer saying the quiet part out loud gives that locker room a real bar. Not “win the division.” Not “be competitive.” Super Bowl. If they fold, everyone gets cooked anyway. So lean into it.
And if Dallas can’t handle a July quote, they sure as hell aren’t handling January in Philadelphia, Detroit, or San Francisco.

That's your hangover. Go hydrate. I'll see you tomorrow.