Cardinals Hope to Turn the Tide Against Rams Without Aaron Donald…

The Arizona Cardinals and quarterback Kyler Murray are hopeful for improved results against the Los Angeles Rams now that Aaron Donald has retired.

When Donald announced his retirement after a decade of pressuring quarterbacks for the Rams, Murray made a light-hearted social media post that read, “THANK GOD,” which amused many online.

The humor was rooted in reality—Donald had been a significant challenge for Murray.

Murray acknowledged Donald’s greatness, saying, “He’s, in my eyes, the best of all time, so I’m definitely glad that he won’t be on the field this Sunday.”

However, it remains to be seen if Donald’s absence will affect the longstanding rivalry, which has recently favored the Rams.

The Cardinals (0-1) will play against the Rams (0-1) on Sunday, with both teams from the NFC West. The Rams have dominated the series, winning 13 of the last 15 matchups and nine consecutive games at State Farm Stadium.

Murray noted that the Rams are still a formidable team, saying, “They’re well-coached and have many talented young players who play extremely hard.” He added, “Any defensive line that plays as aggressively as they do is a tough challenge.”

In Week 1, both teams had tough losses. The Cardinals fell to the Buffalo Bills 34-28, while the Rams lost to the Detroit Lions 26-20 in overtime. Despite the setbacks, both teams found some positives.

The Rams are dealing with injuries, having placed top receiver Puka Nacua and offensive linemen Steve Avila and Joe Noteboom on injured reserve this week.