Is Aaron Donald Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for 49ers vs. Rams in NFL Week 1)

The Los Angeles Rams are going to be without one of their top defensive players in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers.

Aaron Donald, who officially came out of retirement and joined the team late last month, reportedly didn't travel to Australia for Thursday's game and will be inactive. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Rams are giving Donald as much time to ramp up as possible, as he last played in the NFL in 2023.

Sources: Rams standout DT Aaron Donald will not travel to Australia for Thursday night’s opener against the 49ers and will be inactive, per me and @rapsheet. The Rams want to give Donald more time to ramp up before making his much-anticipated return after two seasons of… pic.twitter.com/avAbPTtPUA
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 8, 2026

Donald's absence has not shifted the line for the 49ers vs. Rams matchup yet. The Rams remain 3.5-point favorites in the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook, and they're actually -118 to cover the spread. The Rams are the clear favorite to win the Super Bowl (+500) with Donald back in the fold, and they'll likely be favored in the majority of their games this season unless reigning league MVP Matthew Stafford is forced to miss time.

Once the Donald is able to return, the Rams should have one of the best one-two punches up front with him and Myles Garrett.

Donald retired from playing after the 2023 campaign, seemingly ending on the greatest careers ever by a defensive player. An eight-time First Team All-Pro, Donald (now 35) walked away from the game after recording eight sacks and earning yet another All-Pro nod in 2023. The Donald of old was one of the best players in league history on the defensive side of the ball, picking up 111.0 sacks in 154 games (150 starts) while also recording 176 tackles for loss.

It'll be interesting to see if he can find that form again in 2026, but fans will have to wait until Week 2 -- at the earliest -- to see for themselves.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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