Aaron Donald is officially coming out of retirement, agreeing to a one-year, $20 million contract with the Los Angeles Rams that can reach $30 million with incentives. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year will now join a defensive line that already features reigning DPOY Myles Garrett, giving the Rams arguably the most terrifying defensive front in football.
And if this sounds familiar, it should. I wrote about Donald's potential return earlier this month, calling it the “worst-kept secret in football.” At the time, Donald was still officially retired, but he had continued training, worked out at the Rams' facility and was being heavily linked to a potential return to Los Angeles. I also noted that he could have been waiting to avoid participating in a full training camp after spending more than two seasons away from football.
What's particularly interesting is how little the Super Bowl market moved when the news became official. That's because the betting market had essentially already priced in the possibility of Donald returning. The Rams were already the clear-cut Super Bowl favorites, and their odds are now around +500, with the Bills and Ravens next at +1000.
Back on June 2, when the Rams traded for Myles Garrett, a $100 Super Bowl bet on Los Angeles became worth $154. When I wrote about Donald's potential return earlier this month, that same bet was worth $170. Now that Donald is officially back, the Rams are even shorter at +500. The Bet is actually worth $167 now according to WagerWire. The worst-kept secret in football is finally official, and the Rams are now the team everyone is chasing.
