The Rams have gone from dangerous to downright intimidating.
Aaron Donald is officially headed back to Los Angeles on a one-year deal worth $20 million, with incentives that can push it to $30 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. After sitting out since the 2023 season, the 35-year-old is rejoining a defense that already looked loaded, and now he’s set to line up alongside Myles Garrett.
That news has already hit the betting market hard. DraftKings Sportsbook moved the Rams to +500 to win the Super Bowl, down from +550, making them even stronger favorites after the Donald announcement. The Seahawks also took a hit, sliding to +1200 from +1100, another sign oddsmakers expect Los Angeles to control the NFC West.
Donald’s return brings back one of the most decorated defensive careers in league history. He retired after the 2023 campaign, when he finished with eight sacks and earned another All-Pro honor. He leaves retirement with eight First Team All-Pro selections, 111.0 sacks in 154 games, including 150 starts, and 176 tackles for loss.
Even with all that résumé weight, there are still questions about what he’ll look like after two seasons away. Earlier this month, Christian Cipollini, a Senior Trading Manager for BetMGM, told Sports Illustrated, “Donald is also 35 and has been out of football for a couple years,” Cipollini said. “It is hard to say what impact he would have on the field.”
DraftKings is clearly betting on impact. The Rams are now the favorites to win the Super Bowl, the NFC and the NFC West, while Donald sits fourth in the Comeback Player of the Year odds at +750.
If Donald is anywhere close to the player he was before retirement, Los Angeles just got even harder to handle up front. And with Garrett already in the mix, opposing offenses are staring at a problem they may not have a clean answer for.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
In Other News...
Rams May Regret This Cam Lampkin Decision Fast
The Rams roster cutdown to 53 players included an expected but still notable move at cornerback, where Cam Lampkin was waived as Los Angeles trimmed its defensive back group. Lampkin now has to clear waivers before he could return on the practice squad, leaving the Rams with a thinner cornerback room than they might prefer heading into the opening stretch of the season.
Los Angeles is currently planning to carry four cornerbacks on the active roster, a number that can leave little margin for error if injuries or special teams needs start to pile up. Lampkins status may not stay unresolved for long, and the next step will say plenty about how strongly the Rams want to keep him in the building after this initial cut. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Just Added To A Draft Problem Fans Can't Ignore
The Rams kept trimming their roster to get down to 53 players, and one of the quieter moves came with tight end Mark Redman heading to Green Bay for a 2028 seventh-round pick. It is the kind of transaction that barely registers in late August, but it also fits the broader way Los Angeles has been managing the back end of its roster and future assets.
For a team already dealing with complications around its draft inventory, especially in 2027, every small pick swap carries a little more weight than usual. The Rams still have enough selections in the later rounds to keep working the margins, but moves like this only sharpen the attention on how they plan to navigate the draft landscape ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Fans Know Exactly How This Troy Reeder Situation Can Go
Troy Reeder is on the move again, this time landing on the New York Jets practice squad after not making the Detroit Lions' 53-man roster. For Rams fans, it is a familiar name and a familiar kind of roster turn for a linebacker who spent six seasons in Los Angeles, with a brief stop with the Chargers in between, before trying to find his next opening elsewhere.
The Jets offer a plausible path because their inside linebacker depth is thin behind Demario Davis and Jamien Sherwood, which gives Reeder a chance to work his way toward the active roster. Rams followers know better than most how these situations can unfold, and they also know how quickly a practice-squad signing can turn into a real opportunity if injuries or performance open the door. [Read more 🡒]