The Los Angeles Rams are heading into a difficult stretch without their biggest defensive star. Myles Garrett is set to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and will be placed on injured reserve, according to Netflix Sports’ Tom Pelissero.
Pelissero reported, “Rams star Myles Garrett will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his ailing knee and is headed to injured reserve,” and added that Garrett had been “dealing with lower-leg pain” during training camp, which limited him throughout the offseason.
The move means Garrett will be sidelined for at least four games. That lines up with a brutal run for Los Angeles, which is scheduled to face the New York Giants, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills over that span.
If everything goes according to plan, the earliest Garrett can return is Week 6, when the Rams host the Arizona Cardinals.
Garrett’s injury is a major setback for a team that spent big to land him. Los Angeles pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Browns in June, sending Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round selection to Cleveland in exchange for Garrett.
His absence also delays a matchup fans were waiting to see. Garrett was supposed to pair with Aaron Donald, who came out of retirement after two seasons away from the NFL. Donald did not play in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers, so the two will have to wait until at least Week 6 to share the field for the first time.
Garrett’s opener made it obvious he wasn’t fully right. Pelissero said from the sideline that Garrett looked “gassed,” which fit with how limited he had been leading up to the season.
Garrett owned up to the performance afterward.
“This was the worst version of myself that I’ve put out there,” he said. “I’ve got to be better. I’ve got to find a way to recover and get back to the player I know I can be and I’ve shown that I’ve been before.”
He said his priority was simple.
“That’s the main thing,” he added. “When I was out there I was a little more focused on myself and trying to stay healthy than what they were doing, and it showed. I wasn’t what I needed to be for my team.”
Now the Rams will wait on their pass-rushing centerpiece, with the hope that four weeks off gets Garrett back to full strength and ready to bring his edge to Los Angeles as soon as Week 6.
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From the Rams standpoint, the bigger takeaway is how close they came to taking a very different route to solve the same problem. Crosby has reportedly had no trouble with the knee since and is said to be in excellent health, which only sharpens the what-if for Los Angeles before it ultimately pivoted and landed Myles Garrett instead. [Read more 🡒]
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For Rams fans, the intrigue goes beyond a simple NFC opponent check-in. The Giants approach against Dallas in Week 1 pointed to a team trying to establish an identity on both sides of the ball, and tonights game should give a clearer read on how real that foundation is. Whether the Giants settle in quickly or spend the night working through growing pains, Los Angeles will have a useful glimpse at the kind of team its about to face. [Read more 🡒]