Aaron Donald’s announcement that he was coming out of retirement to return to the Los Angeles Rams did more than send another jolt through an already loaded NFL roster. It moved the betting market.
The Rams entered Sunday as overwhelming Super Bowl favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, sitting at +550 before Donald officially announced he was coming out of retirement. Once the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year was back on the roster, those odds shortened to +500.
“We felt somewhat confident that Donald would sign with the Rams before the season started. The Future Book Odds to win the Super Bowl dropped from +550 to +500,” Johnny Avello, director of Sportsbook Operations for DraftKings, told the California Post. “We believe that his talent level, combined with his current physical shape, improves the Rams’ chances.”
At +500, Los Angeles now has twice as short odds as its nearest challengers, with the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills both sitting at +1000.
And the Rams have another incentive waiting at the finish line: a chance to win the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium for the second time.
The last time the Super Bowl was held at SoFi Stadium, the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 on February 13, 2022. REUTERS DraftKings also quickly rolled out Donald-specific markets, setting his regular-season sack total at 12. Donald recorded eight sacks during his final season before retiring, but had never finished with fewer than 11 in a season from 2017 through 2022.
Now imagine offensive coordinators deciding where to slide protection with reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett screaming off the edge.
Catch up on The Post’s NFL betting previews and predictions for the 2026 season
Donald also reappeared on the Defensive Player of the Year board at a distant +5000. Garrett is the overwhelming favorite at +450, followed by Will Anderson Jr. at +700.
The Rams were already the team sportsbooks feared most.
Now Donald is back, and the Rams roster looks like one of the best teams ever assembled.
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