Hernandez: Now that Matthew Stafford deal is done, how can Rams deal with loss of Aaron Donald?

Rams coach Sean McVay flashed his trademark smile when reporting Tuesday that quarterback Matthew Stafford was in camp, but this wasn’t a celebratory moment.

This was more of a sigh of relief.

Stafford had the Rams by the you-know-what, and he knew it. The Rams also knew it, which is why they had no choice but to modify his contract to ensure he would be present the next day at the first workout of their training camp at Loyola Marymount.

To keep their most important player from holding out, the Rams allowed themselves to be held up, and as much as McVay tried to portray the negotiations with Stafford as positively as he could, the Rams couldn’t be pleased with how the situation unfolded.

“Ultimately,” McVay said, “all we can do is the next right thing.”

In this case, that meant doing everything in their power so that Stetson Bennett wouldn’t be their starting quarterback in Week 1 in Detroit.

The Rams may be spared that disaster scenario, but that doesn’t mean they’re in the clear. They were a surprising 10-7 last season, but that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily trending in the right direction.

They don’t have Aaron Donald anymore.

Donald’s absence was a complete afterthought Tuesday, as McVay spent virtually his entire 15-minute news conference answering questions about his quarterback.

“That’s all you had?” McVay joked. “You guys suck.”

Months from now, McVay could be wishing his quarterback’s contract status was his greatest concern.

Donald was one of the most dominant forces in NFL history, and his importance to the Rams’ defense can’t be overstated. The All-Pro tackle often attracted two or three blockers at a time, which created openings for his teammates.

How good is second-year tackle Kobie Turner without Donald? What about the team’s other second-year pass rusher, linebacker Byron Young?

Defensive back Quentin Lake said of Donald: “You feel his presence, you really do. The way he works, the way he models the way. We talk about that all the time in the building: Model the way. He did exactly that.

“His on-the field ability, we’re going to miss it too. But we’re going to have guys that we’re counting on that are going to take steps in the right direction to help us win games, but, yeah, his presence alone and the way he modeled the game, you want that around the building.”

Offensive lineman Steve Avila said he would miss lining up opposite Donald in training camp.

“I’m sad about it,” Avila said. “I know that he was a big reason why I was as prepared as I was last year. I think it was good training for me, going up against the best.”

The defense will have to find a new leader. The group will have to develop a new identity.

The offense might be viewed as more reliable, especially in the wake of Stafford’s agreement, but the Rams have questions there as well.

Even if Cooper Kupp can’t replicate his All-Pro season of 2021, can he be closer to the receiver he was then rather than the receiver he’s been over his last two injury-plagued seasons?

Can Puka Nacua sustain his production from a sensational rookie season last year in which he caught 105 passes for 1,786 yards? What about Kyren Williams? Can the running back recover from a foot injury and build on his 1,144-yard season?

The Rams are hopeful they addressed their problems at kicker, as they spent their sixth-round draft pick on Joshua Karty of Stanford. But is Karty really the answer?

Then again, how much more uncertainty would the Rams be feeling if Stafford wasn’t in camp?

“I’m grateful that we’re in this position,” McVay said. “So grateful that we came to the solution that we all wanted, and now we can focus on this team and him being able to lead the way.”

But their leader on the other side of the ball won’t be around. Aaron Donald is history, and compensating for his absence might not only require more from the team’s returning defensive players but from Stafford as well.