The star defensive tackle has been absent for the Rams' last two NFL games after sustaining an ankle injury in the 26-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on November 27.
McVay's men are already out of postseason contention at 4-10 following injury problems surrounding Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp and a host of other players.
Donald will remain sidelined along with that pair for Sunday's clash with the visiting Denver Broncos and McVay does not expect the 31-year-old to feature again this season for the reigning Super Bowl champions.
"Probably not," McVay responded when asked if Donald would feature again with three games left of the Rams' campaign.
"I just think, 'Will he be fully cleared to be Aaron Donald?'. And if he is, talk to him and see. But if not, we'll err on the side of being smart with him.
"But obviously, he's a guy that has certainly earned the right where you talk to him. But he's not cleared yet and I don't know that I see that changing in the next couple of weeks."
If Donald does not return, he will end 2022 with 49 tackles, five sacks, 10 tackles for loss and one forced fumble from his 11 games.
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year was named to a ninth straight Pro Bowl on Monday.
Coach Sean McVay told reporters on Tuesday that the 2021 AP Offensive Player of the Year will undergo tightrope surgery for his high-ankle sprain.
The recovery time is expected to be about five to six weeks, meaning it is possible Kupp could return for one of the Rams’ final few games.
It is also possible, however, the Rams ultimately decide to shut him down for the rest of the season if they are out of the playoff picture.
The Rams fell to 3-6 after Sunday’s 27-17 home loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Kupp was injured against the Cardinals when he jumped in an attempt to make a catch and his right ankle was rolled over by a defender upon landing.
He has been one of the few bright spots in the Rams offence, ranking second in the NFL in receptions (75) and fifth in both receiving yards (812) and receiving touchdowns (6).
"Obviously you never ever replace a player like Cooper Kupp, but we've got to figure out the best way to accentuate the skill sets of the guys that will be playing," McVay said.
In 2021, Kupp became just the fifth player in the Super Bowl era to lead the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
He played a crucial role in the Rams’ run to the Super Bowl, catching 33 passes for 478 yards and six touchdowns in four playoff contests, including eight receptions for 92 yards and a pair of TDs in the title game.
Although he is enjoying another stellar season, the Rams rank 29th in scoring (16.4 points per game) and 31st in total yards (282.7 per game).
Allen Robinson and Van Jefferson will likely see larger roles in the offence in Kupp’s absence.
Rams coach Sean McVay revealed running back Akers will play no part when the Panthers visit SoFi Stadium on Sunday.
McKay stated that the situation is "uncharted territory" for Akers and the Rams (2-3) amid reports he could be traded.
Asked about Akers' future with Los Angeles, he replied: "We're working through some different things right now, so hopefully you guys understand and respect that."
Akers missed the majority of last season due to an Achilles injury.
The 23-year-old has made only 151 yards from 51 carries in five games in 2022, scoring just one touchdown.
McKay will be looking for a big contribution from Darrell Henderson in the absence of Akers this weekend, while Malcolm Brown is also on the active roster.
The Super Bowl LVI champions had hoped Donald would do so after he hinted he would "run it back" during the victory parade following the win against the Cincinnati Bengals at the NFL's big show in February.
Ahead of the game at SoFi Stadium, it was reported the highly rated defensive tackle could retire if he finally won a championship to go with his individual achievements.
And the three-time Defensive Player of the Year could scarcely have been more influential in the 23-20 Rams win.
Donald held up Joe Burrow and the Bengals on third and one and then fourth and one on their final drive, finishing with two sacks and three quarterback hits – tying the best marks of his playoff career.
The 30-year-old penned a six-year, $135 million extension before the start of the 2018 season, but has now outplayed that deal.
Speaking at a media conference on Tuesday at the annual league meeting, McVay addressed Donald's situation, saying: "It's a huge priority for us. I know that our group is working with [Donald's agent] Todd France and trying to get that figured out.
"[I] feel really good about Aaron's excitement about coming back and continuing to lead the way for us. But that is a piece that we do want to be able to get figured out for him. And I think he's deserving of it.
"We're in the process of working through that right now."
Donald recorded 12.5 sacks for 111 yards and 17 quarterback hits in the 2021 regular season, before adding another 3.5 sacks for 20.5 yards and nine quarterback hits in the postseason.
The wide receiver was taped up during the postgame news conference, having looked to have rolled his ankle in the fourth quarter of his side's 14-31 loss, sparking fears of a potential lay-off.
But Kupp is optimistic he has not done serious damage as he waits to discover the extent of his injury.
"It just got rolled up a little bit," he said. "[My] foot got caught, but I think it was able to slide out of there before there was too much damage done.
"So, we'll see over these next few days how it responds. Right now, things are pointing towards dodging a bullet."
Rams head coach Sean McVay felt he should not have put Kupp - who made eight catches and scored a touchdown - in the position to suffer the injury in the first place.
The 29-year-old has no issue with his boss, stressing that such an injury is simply the nature of the game.
"Beyond just the coach that he is, he cares about his guys and about his players, and so I know he feels bad about that," he added.
"But at the end of the day you're playing a football game. So I obviously don't hold anything against him in that regard.
"It's a violent random game, and you play it as hard as you possibly can until the fourth quarter hits zero. And I can respect that and appreciate that."
Head coach McVay guided the Rams to a Super Bowl win last season, and tying down his long-term future represents a major boost for the franchise.
Yet McVay revealed he and Snead were waiting until both men were committed to the team before formally confirming the deals.
"We are in a good place," McVay said at training camp. "I feel really good about the direction that's going in, and I think it'll be something where it'll be me and Les, and you guys will know when that is finalised for us.
"We wanted to be able to announce that when both of us got it done.
"It is something that we've been taking care of, but it is very important for Les and I to kind of have that represented as we're a partnership and a pair."
McVay has been Rams coach since 2017, with this his first head coaching role after holding various assistant positions in Washington.
Earning his first title against the Cincinnati Bengals at Super Bowl LVI earlier this year, McVay, 36, became the youngest coach to win the Super Bowl.
McVay has a 55-26 career record, with his winning percentage of 67.9 the seventh-best of all time among coaches to oversee 80 or more games.
Snead was the man who brought McVay to Los Angeles, having been the Rams GM since 2012, when the team were in St. Louis.
And with that, Sean McVay and the Rams are focused on the season ahead.
The Rams open training camp on Sunday, just over five months after they beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in the Super Bowl.
"It was kind of good timing, because now it represents, 'Let's turn the page,'" McVay said on Friday. ''Let's not minimise what a great year last year was, but that's not going to have anything to do with this year.''
No team has won back-to-back Super Bowls since the New England Patriots did so in February 2005, and McVay realises there is a reason it has been nearly two decades since it has been accomplished.
''So many things have to go right,'' McVay added. ''We could be a better team this year, and I think we've got a chance to do that, and it might not mean we win a Super Bowl, because there are a lot of things that take place throughout the course of a game - the bounce of a ball here - certain things that are out of your control.''
The Rams had quite a few close calls en route to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy with three-point victories over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the San Francisco 49ers and the Bengals in the playoffs.
While there are some parts of the game that coaches and players cannot control, McVay acknowledged that with proper preparation and the right mind-set, the team will be in the best position to win and avoid a dreaded Super Bowl hangover.
''A hangover, to me, what that entails is guys think they're better than they are,'' said McVay, whose Rams missed the playoffs in 2018 after reaching the Super Bowl the previous season.
''They stop working the right way, complacency sets in and the previous success you think is going to have anything to do with your future success. We've got the right kind of guys in our locker room, the right kind of coaches that are intrinsically motivated.''
As the defending champions, the Rams have the honour of kicking off the 2022 season when they host the Buffalo Bills on September 8.
All eyes were on debutants Odell Beckham Jr. and Von Miller after the high-flying Rams (7-3) acquired the star duo to boost their Super Bowl bid.
But the 49ers (4-5) spoiled the party – Jimmy Garoppolo throwing two touchdown passes as San Francisco celebrated just their second home win in the past two seasons, keeping their playoff hopes alive on Monday.
The 49ers, who have now won five straight games against the Rams – the longest active streak by either side, matching their 2008-10 run – had last emerged victorious on home soil in October 2020, also over the Rams.
Part of that was down to the 49ers having to play part of the 2020 season in Arizona due to COVID-19 restrictions in Santa Clara, but there was still a sense of relief as they eventually enjoyed success in their own backyard.
Shanahan was grateful to put such a run behind them.
"It's been frustrating," he said. "We haven't won at home yet this year. The last time we did win at home was versus the Rams.
"We had one game after that versus the Packers, and we spent are our home [games] in Arizona, but just going to this year was very frustrating.
"Especially, the crowds that we've had, the way our fans have been. They were awesome today. Just like they were awesome last week, but I'm glad we gave them something to be proud of today.
"I just told [the team] how proud of them I was. I said we've got a short week. I think we've got a real good team [the Jacksonville Jaguars] ahead of us – that's how we expect to play here.
"It's been long overdue and we've got to make sure that we take a day off. Those guys rest, come back healthy on a short week, make sure we keep it going forward."
There were entirely different thoughts going through the head of Rams coach Sean McVay, however, with the Super Bowl hopefuls suffering back-to-back losses for the first time this season.
"I choose to believe that these last couple weeks are not who we are," he said. "I refuse to believe that, even though, you know what, you're only as good as your last game.
"These last two weeks have certainly been humbling."
Beckham was rather less dramatic, though, despite his debut being overshadowed by a chastening defeat.
The wide receiver, who joined the Rams as a free agent this week following his release by the Cleveland Browns, simply felt the 49ers were better all over the field.
"I was excited, I felt like I was ready for the moment," Beckham added. "I've been through so much and God has put me in this position for that exact moment.
"It just wasn't our night. There's really no way around it, it just wasn't our night. Any given Sunday any team can win.
"The Niners came out and they played better than us in all phases of the game, and that's really the moral of the story. There's no trying to find what happened, they just outplayed us."
The reigning Super Bowl QB missed the Rams' 27-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, but returned to practice on Wednesday.
McVay indicated he expected Stafford to clear protocol by Friday, having entered on November 8 in the days after their 16-13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"The doctors are making sure, everybody, himself, his family, feels good about it," McVay told reporters. "That's always been the priority, the person, the safety, the health.
"But if he is fully cleared and he and his family feel good about that, then I know he's chomping at the bit to be out there with his guys."
McVay said if Stafford was cleared as late as Friday that would not impact his availability for Sunday's game.
"It's not going to inhibit his ability to participate in practice, be a full participant in meetings, all that kind of stuff," he said. "It's just kind of following the necessary steps to fully be cleared."
John Wolford, who stepped in for Stafford but struggled against the Cardinals, did not practice on Wednesday due to a neck issue.
Stafford has a 68.4 per cent completion rate this season, passing for 1,928 yards and eight touchdowns and eight interceptions for the Rams who are 3-6 and last in the NFC West.
The Rams will definitely be without wide receiver and 2021 AP Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp who has undergone ankle surgery following an injury sustained against the Cardinals.
"It's going to give a lot of guys an opportunity to step up," McVay said. "Anytime you lose a guy like that, you never replace him.
"Cooper, we all know what a special player, special person he is. That's a big loss, without a doubt, but it will provide a lot of opportunities for other guys to get chances that they wouldn’t otherwise. You have to look at it through that lens."
Saints head coach Dennis Allen confirmed they will stick with quarterback Andy Dalton for Sunday's game, despite considering a change to Jameis Winston who is available again after injury but not yet 100 per cent.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Sunday that Rams coach McVay and Bengals coach Taylor are in line to receive contract extensions from their respective teams once the dust settles on Sunday's clash at SoFi Stadium.
McVay has two seasons remaining on his deal, while the 2022 campaign is the last year of Taylor's current contract.
There had been reports that 36-year-old McVay, who has previously expressed a desire not to coach into his 60s, could step away from coaching at the end of the season, with talk of a potential move into broadcasting.
Such suggestions appear to have been erroneous, as the indication is now that he will continue a head coaching career in which he has reached the playoffs in all but one of his five seasons in charge of the Rams.
McVay also looks set to be tied to the quarterback that has led his team back to the Super Bowl for the long term.
Indeed, NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported the Rams are set to hammer out a contract extension with Matthew Stafford, whom the Rams traded a pair of first-round picks to acquire in the offseason.
Stafford's contract expires at the end of next season but, regardless of whether he gets the job done on home turf, the Rams are poised to reward him for a campaign in which he set franchise records for completions (404), passing yards (4,886) and touchdowns (41).
The Rams – playing at their SoFi Stadium home – had led in the first half before Odell Beckham. Jr, who scored the opening touchdown, departed with a knee injury.
The Bengals took control for a period and had a four-point advantage inside the two-minute warning.
But a record-breaking 15-play go-ahead drive ended with Matthew Stafford throwing a TD pass to Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp.
There was still work to do on defense, with the Bengals within a field goal of overtime, yet Aaron Donald stuffed the run on third-and-one and then forced an incompletion on fourth down to clinch victory.
McVay considered the dramatic conclusion fitting for his team, who became the first to win three games by three points or fewer in the same postseason thanks to this 23-20 success.
The coach, who reserved praise for the "great job" from Stafford and Kupp, who "took over the game", said: "It feels outstanding.
"You talk about a resilient team, coaches, players, I'm so proud of this group, just proud to be associated with it.
"We talk about competitive greatness all the time, being your best when the best is required. For the offense to be able to find the way and then Aaron to be able to finish it off, it's poetic."
McVay guided the Rams to Sunday's 23-20 Super Bowl LVI triumph over the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium, making him the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl in NFL history at 36-years-old.
Donald made a series of key plays to clinch victory for the Rams but speculation has been rife about the 30-year-old's playing future, although he declined to discuss it in the aftermath of victory.
“I think all of these guys are wiped,” Demoff told reporters on Monday. “When you get to this point, the gas tank is empty and you’re sitting there holding a trophy.
"I think that’s daunting to some degree when you wake up this morning and realize you’ve got to go do it all over again, and you don’t have the energy so I think the talk is actually natural.
“I would agree. I don’t think Sean’s current pace is sustainable in terms of how much work he puts in if you want to have a family. But I think the one thing, these guys all love football.
"They love being around each other… These are all natural questions that are hard to answer in the moment. A month away, two months away from everybody, and I think things will feel a lot better.”
McVay added that good things happens when you get great players pulling in the same direction, as the Rams claimed their first Super Bowl victory since 1999, when they were based in St Louis.
The Rams invested heavily in success ahead of this season, bringing in quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr and outside line backer Von Miller in the past 12 months.
"When you get around great players and great coaches who are all committed and pulling in the same direction, pulling that rope in the same direction, good things can happen," McVay told reporters on Monday.
"Each team is a new team every single year but when you have the right foundational pieces like Cooper [Kupp], [Andrew] Whitworth, Stafford, Aaron Donald, the list goes on, you just feel grateful to be a part of it.
"Because of their success other people get a chance to grow."
NFC West rivals the Arizona Cardinals were convincingly swatted aside by the Rams in the Wild Card round on Monday, the hosts triumphing 34-11.
The Rams will now move on to face Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a huge Divisional Round game with a place in the NFC Championship up for grabs.
Stafford had only previously reached the playoffs three times in 12 years with the Detroit Lions before his trade to LA ahead of the 2021 campaign and had been winless in each of those postseason appearances.
"I thought he did a great job leading the way," McVay said, per ESPN, after Stafford threw touchdown passes to Odell Beckham Jr. and Cooper Kupp.
"He's still the same great player to me, and he always was before this game.
"So I think it's good so you guys don't have to talk about [him not having a playoff win] anymore. So he can get that one out of the way.
"I am really proud of him. Just so lucky to be able to do this with him. He's our leader. We wouldn't be here without him."
Stafford only had to throw a season-low 17 pass attempts, but he was impressive in completing 13 of them, with three of his four incompletions being dropped passes.
The Rams' defense played a big part in the win too. The Cardinals were 21-0 behind before they were even able to record a first down, while cornerback David Long had a three-yard pick six on Kyler Murray, the shortest in playoff history.
"I'm just excited for our team to get the win," said Stafford.
"What a team effort. Our defense played outstanding, special teams basically set up a score with [punter] Johnny [Hekker] pinning them down there, we did a great job on field goals.
"And we were good enough on offense to score some points and come away with the win. Just happy to be moving on."
The Rams must now beat the defending NFL champions on the road to progress further in a postseason schedule which will culminate with the Super Bowl being hosted at their own SoFi Stadium.
LA were one of only three teams who beat the Bucs in the regular season but Stafford is under no illusions over the size of the task facing them.
He added: "It is a huge challenge. Obviously, a fantastic quarterback, great defense, a really good football team.
"I think their team is different than when we played them last [in Week 3], and I think we are, too, both [in] personnel and scheme a little bit. You always evolve throughout the season.
"So it'll be interesting to see what they look like here as of late, and we'll go out there, attack and see what happens."
