Peter Sblendorio: Aaron Donald's unretirement solidifies Rams as favorites in Super Bowl-or-bust season

Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News on Sep 1, 2026

Published in Football

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Since the advent of the award in 1972, only nine men have won NFL Defensive Player of the Year more than once.

There have been only four multi-time recipients this millennium.

In a harrowing reality for the rest of the NFL, two of them are now set to occupy the same defensive line this season.

Aaron Donald officially came out of retirement and rejoined the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday following months of speculation.

The return of the game-wrecking defensive tackle caps an incredible offseason for the Super Bowl-or-bust Rams, who months earlier acquired defensive end Myles Garrett — fresh off of him setting the NFL single-season sack record — in a blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Browns.

If all goes according to plan, the Rams will ride that fearsome defensive front all the way to the championship that so narrowly eluded them last winter.

“You bring [in] a guy like Myles Garrett, a generational talent, and it’s like, ‘That could be fun,’” a smiling Donald said Sunday.

Donald, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, has not played since the 2023 season, and he turned 35 in May.

The Rams no longer need the future Hall of Famer to be the heart and soul of their defense. That will be the job of Garrett, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, including last season when he totaled 23 sacks in 17 games to break Michael Strahan’s record of 22.5 sacks in 16 games in 2001.

But there’s no question Donald raises the Rams’ ceiling, especially if he can come close to approximating the player who racked up a franchise-record 111 sacks over his first 10 seasons, including eight in 2023 before stepping away.

“I think this is a complete team with me here or without me here, so for me to even have the opportunity to be a part of this, be with this team, I take nothing for granted,” Donald said.

“It’s a blessing to be retired from the game for two years and have the opportunity to come back and be a part of something special.”

Last season, Los Angeles went 12-5 and boasted the NFL’s highest-scoring offense (30.5 points per game) and 10th-stingiest defense (20.4 points per game).

But the Rams lost in the NFC Championship Game to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, 31-27, as quarterback Sam Darnold carved up their defense.

This year, the Sean McVay-coached Rams return the same high-octane offensive firepower, headlined by reigning NFL MVP quarterback Matt Stafford and dynamic wide receiver duo Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.

But the defense reloaded over the offseason, beginning with a trade for new No. 1 cornerback Trent McDuffie in which the Rams sent a haul of draft picks, including their 2026 first-rounder, to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Then came the trade for Garrett, which cost the Rams an ascendent third-year pass rusher in Jared Verse and three premium draft picks, including next year’s first-rounder.

The final piece was Donald, who is reportedly set to earn at least $20 million next season, with the possibility for more in incentives.

“If he’s here, I’m going to be excited to be his teammate, his partner in crime,” Garrett, 30, said a few weeks before Donald’s return.

“I think we’d do great things.”

Donald, Stafford and McVay were three of the driving forces in the Rams’ Super Bowl championship after the 2021 season. With Donald back in the mix, the Rams are now +550 favorites to win this season’s Super Bowl, according to the FanDuel Sportsbook.

The next best odds belong to the Buffalo Bills, who are a distant second at +1,000, followed by the Seahawks at +1,100.

That doesn’t mean it will come easily. The Seahawks won the NFC West over the Rams last season and also return much of the same core that won the Super Bowl.

And the Rams employ several key pieces on the wrong side of 30, including Stafford at 37, Adams at 33 and, now, Donald.

But Los Angeles’ star power is undeniable, as is its upside. Whether the Rams can actually pull off a Hollywood ending might come down to how dominant Donald proves to still be.

“Do I feel like I can play at a high level? Yes,” Donald said. “Do I feel like I can still be myself? One hundred percent. If I didn’t feel like that, I wouldn’t be here.”

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