Can LA Rams repeat Super Bowl success with Donald locked in?

The Los Angeles Rams just announced that they have re-signed superstar defensive tackle Aaron Donald on a two-year, $60 million deal. He has been one of the best players in the league over his whole career and was a massive piece in the Rams’ Super Bowl win last season.

Throughout this offseason, Donald has been flirting with retirement. He is only 31, but with his new Super Bowl ring, he has truly accomplished everything in the NFL. Donald has made the All Pro team in every season except his rookie year and has also won the Defensive Player of the Year award four times. Still, it would have been a shock to see him retire. He was at the top of his game last season and is truly one of the best defensive players of all time.

Now, the Rams have paid their guy and he will be the first non-quarterback to make over $30 million in a year. It should be well worth it, as that is the difference Donald provides. Without him, the Rams definitely would not have won the Super Bowl and probably wouldn’t have even made it to that point. In this new age of offensive football, defense can sometimes be a forgotten aspect of the game. With Donald, however, you cannot miss his impact, as he is constantly making plays to help his team win.

The Rams, now, will run back largely the same roster that won the 2022 Super Bowl. They won the division with a 12-5 record and were able to win some dramatic playoff games to reach the Super Bowl. In the big dance, at their home stadium, they were able to defeat the upstart Cincinnati Bengals in a thrilling finish. On the final drive, it was Donald who saved the day and made the fourth-down stop to clinch it for the Rams.

Looking forward to next season, the Rams are +1000 with Bovada to win the Super Bowl. With Donald back, it’s definitely a possibility. The NFC is also a weaker conference than the AFC and the Rams should have less competition to get back to the Super Bowl. That being said, it’s not worth betting on the Rams at this point. If they were to lose some games early in the season, their odds would jump up and that would be the time to place a wager.

However, the Rams are at +125 to win the division, and that may be worth taking. They won it last year and should win it again this year. Their divisional rivals, the Seattle Seahawks, traded Russel Wilson to the Broncos and are entering a rebuild. It would be fair to write them off. The Arizona Cardinals are a very talented team, but there are legitimate concerns about their coach, Kliff Kingsbury, and whether he is up to the task.

The main danger in the division is the San Francisco 49ers. However, they will be starting Trey Lance on the back of a season in which he started only two games. It remains to be seen how good he will be as an NFL quarterback. That leaves us with the Rams, a proven team who are running it back. They will definitely be in the mix and Donald will be a huge part of that.

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