National Football League

Aaron Donald or Sean McVay: Who is more vital to Rams’ success?

Published Feb. 17, 2022 12:47 p.m. ET

Throughout the Los Angeles Rams’ run to Super Bowl LVI, head coach Sean McVay and his schmedium, royal blue Dri-FITs have drawn a surprising amount of media attention.

McVay became the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl Sunday at 36 years old, and fans and pundits have become enamored with his seemingly eidetic memory and influence on the Rams’ high-powered offense.

And with retirement rumors swirling around both McVay and star defensive tackle Aaron Donald, Nick Wright was asked Wednesday morning on "First Things First" which man is more important for L.A.’s title defense.

Wright, however, knew better than to bet against possibly the greatest defensive player of all time.

Aaron Donald vs. Sean McVay: Who's retirement would hurt Rams more?

Both Sean McVay and Aaron Donald have fueled retirement rumors since the Los Angeles Rams won Super Bowl LVI. Nick Wright and Chris Broussard decide which retirement would be more detrimental for the Rams in the long run.

"Aaron Donald would be drastically, demonstrably, more damaging if he were to walk away than Sean McVay would," Wright said.

Donald has enjoyed one of the most prolific eight-year stretches in NFL history since entering the league in 2014, earning first-team All-Pro honors seven times and building an inarguable Hall of Fame resume by age 30. Donald has also redefined the defensive tackle position. The interior lineman leads the NFL in sacks since 2016, a category typically dominated by edge rushers.

However, Donald's unmistakable presence hasn’t always brought the Rams success. After being drafted in 2014, Donald led the Rams to a meager 17-31 record during his first three seasons despite earning two All-Pro nods.

McVay’s arrival, conversely, delivered immediate success to the City of Angels. The sprightly coach guided his team to a winning record in each of his first six seasons and made the 2018 Super Bowl at just 32.

"Here (are) the facts, they (the Rams) had Aaron Donald for three years before Sean McVay got there, and they were horrible," cohost Chris Broussard said. "(McVay) takes those same players and they win 11 games."

McVay hasn’t been a flawless captain of the starship SoFi though, despite bringing home the Lombardi Trophy in 2021. After Cooper Kupp’s second-quarter touchdown reception, the Rams wouldn’t find the end zone until the final minute of the game, due in large part to McVay’s insistence on the ground game.

In fact, Wright asserts that McVay isn’t even the best coach in his divisions.

"Would you rather have maybe the defensive player of all-time or the second-best coach in the NFC West?" Wright said. "Tell Kyle Shanahan that McVay’s better than him.

The comparison boils down to a simple question for Wright: if both men mysteriously missed Sunday’s Super Bowl on short notice, whose absence would be more impactful? Wright argues the answer is obvious.

"If right before kickoff Sean McVay had somewhere to go, Van Jefferson situation, could the Rams have won? I say yeah," Wright quipped. "If Aaron Donald wasn’t there could they (the Rams) have won? Umm… no."