Getty Images

It was close a couple of weeks ago, and it’s still close. But, obviously, it’s not done until it’s done.

The Rams and defensive tackle Aaron Donald, the reigning NFL defensive player of the year, remain on the verge of a deal that will make him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history, per a source with knowledge of the situation. But the deal still isn’t done, presumably because one or both sides is hoping to squeeze out one or more last-minute concessions.

That’s why it’s important to identify a real deadline for getting the deal done. Appearing recently on the #PFTPM podcast, Rams coach Sean McVay said there isn’t one. But if there really isn’t one, it becomes much more difficult to figure out when to land the plane.

Whenever the plane lands, the expectation is that the contract will be in the neighborhood of $22 million per year, with as much as $80 million guaranteed (total guarantee, not fully guaranteed) at signing.

“We’re working to come to a solution that gets Aaron Donald here as soon as possible and keeps Aaron Donald here for a long time,” Rams G.M. Les Snead tells PFT, while declining to discuss specifics.