There are a lot of Quarterbacks and Offensive Coordinators who are breathing easier today.

Aaron Donald, the most terrorizing Defensive Player in the last ten years, has announced his retirement after ten years in the NFL, all with the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams. 

Drafted 13^th Overall in 2014 from Pittsburgh, Donald accomplished everything a player could.  Named to the Pro Bowl in all ten of his campaigns, Donald was a First Team All-Pro in seven of them and won three Defensive Player of the Year Awards.  Donald also won the Defensive Rookie of the Year and achieved the ultimate goal: a Super Bowl win.

Donald retires with 111 Sacks, 176 Tackles for Loss, 260 Quarterback Sacks and 543 Combined Tackles.  He will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2029 and is a lock to enter on the first ballot.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish Aaron Donald the best in his post-playing career.

Jake Muzzin had a nice 12-year career, split between the Los Angeles Kings and the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Defenseman’s best years were in L.A., where he had three 40-point years and helped the Kings win the 2014 Stanley Cup. The Kings traded Muzzin to Toronto, where he stayed more on the defensive end.

Internationally, he competed in two major tournaments and won Gold in both of them: the 2016 World Cup and the 2015 World Hockey Championships.

What a shame.

Before we get to why that is, let’s look at what Wander Franco was supposed to be. 

Franco was signed by the Rays in 2017 from the Dominican Republic and dominated in the Minors.  He was called up in 2021 and did enough in only 70 Games to finish third in the AL Rookie of the Year voting.  Tampa was so impressed that they did something that they never do: they made a long-term investment in a player.  The Rays inked Franco to an 11-year contract extension worth 182 million.  He was only 20 years old and had the world by the balls.  Or so we thought.   We will get there soon.

Franco missed time in 2022 with hand injuries, though he still batted .277 with 87 Hits in 83 Games. He got off to a torrid start in 2023, making the All-Star team as an injury replacement for Aaron Judge and showcasing sparkling defence at Short. His power was up (17 Home Runs), and he had 30 stolen bases by early August, but he was placed on administrative leave due to alleged sexual activities with an underage girl.

Franco is unlikely to return to the Majors, and if we based this solely on character, he would not be here at all.  That is not how we work here, so Franco is ranked and will be until he is pushed out.

Devan Dubnyk was a professional ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League (NHL). He started his NHL career in 2006 with the Edmonton Oilers, two years after being selected by them in the first round of the draft. Dubnyk had to wait until 2012 to become a regular starter, after which he was traded to Nashville, where he served as the backup to Pekka Rinne. He then found himself back in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Dubnyk signed with the Arizona Coyotes in the 2014-15 season but was traded to the Minnesota Wild two months into the season, where he had the best run of his career. Dubnyk took the Wild on his back and helped them reach the playoffs. He had a remarkable GAA of 2.33 (1.78 with Minnesota) and finished the season with several accolades. Dubnyk was named a Second-Team All-Star, finished fourth in Hart voting, and won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

Dubnyk remained with Minnesota for two more seasons, during which he continued to perform well. He ended his NHL career with brief stints in San Jose and Colorado. Over the course of his career, Dubnyk posted an overall record of 177-113-28. His resilience, determination, and hard work characterized his career, earning him the respect and admiration of his teammates and fans alike.