Myles Garrett’s return is no longer looking like a quick fix.
What had started as a manageable recovery has turned into a much longer wait for the Los Angeles Rams, with league sources now putting the pass rusher on a roughly six-week timeline after knee surgery. That’s a real hit for a player the Rams brought in as one of their biggest offseason swings.
Garrett came to Los Angeles in a major trade from the Cleveland Browns and landed on a restructured multi-year deal, but his first months with the Rams have been shaped by knee trouble. He dealt with swelling through training camp, then still suited up for the season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Australia. Afterward, he was blunt about where he stood, saying he was nowhere near full strength and that it was the worst version of himself.
The Rams put Garrett on injured reserve after that opener, and he later had arthroscopic surgery to clean out the knee and ease the discomfort and swelling. Under NFL rules, he becomes eligible to return after four games, which initially pointed toward the Week 6 meeting with the Arizona Cardinals. But the revised six-week estimate pushes that expectation back.
Now, Week 9 against the Washington Commanders on November 8 looks like a more realistic target. That would also put him in danger of missing additional games against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7 and the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8.
Garrett is still pushing to beat the timeline, but the Rams are not planning to force the issue. Team officials want to be careful with their marquee defensive addition, and head coach Sean McVay has already said Garrett is healing quickly while making clear the staff will not rush him.
This isn’t the first time the Rams have had to manage the knee issue. Garrett missed most of training camp with the same lower-body soreness, and McVay previously brushed off the concern as the team being smart with a veteran who has taken on heavy snap counts over the years. Garrett, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, rarely sat out during his time in Cleveland.
For Los Angeles, the longer absence means the defense will keep moving without its most disruptive edge rusher for a bigger chunk of the early schedule. The team is handling other injury situations too, but Garrett’s recovery remains the headline. The procedure was meant to clear out the lingering swelling and get him back to the explosive form the Rams traded for, and for now, the six-week window is the best read on when that might happen.
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