The Rams got a harsh first-week reminder in Melbourne: Myles Garrett is not operating at full strength, and the difference showed.
After Los Angeles fell to the San Francisco 49ers, Sean McVay was asked in his postgame press conference whether Garrett was feeling 100 percent. McVay kept it short: “To my knowledge, ya,” McVay responded bluntly.
Garrett’s own answer told a very different story once he walked into the press conference room at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Asked if he felt 100 percent going into Thursday night, he said, “No. This was the worst version of myself.”
That line matched the performance. For the first time in a game since 2018, Garrett finished without a single stat, and he didn’t generate pressure either.
The 49ers handled the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and the player who just broke the single-season sack record as well as anyone has. Trent Williams was part of the challenge, and Kyle Shanahan’s screen-heavy plan helped keep the Rams’ front from taking over, but Garrett made it clear he wasn’t spending the night thinking much about the opponent.
“I was a little bit more focused on myself and trying to stay healthy than what they were doing,” said Garrett.
That’s the bigger issue for the Rams now. Garrett’s knee has been swelling through much of training camp, and while the team has insisted it was being cautious and learning how his body responds, the situation appears more serious than a simple maintenance plan. He missed most of the last three weeks of practice, then finally put together consecutive practice days last week for the first time since camp opened.
Even with that limited work, Garrett was listed on the injury report ahead of Friday’s game, though he was projected as a full participant on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Rams paid a steep price to get him, sending away Jared Verse and multiple first-round selections because they believed Garrett could change their defense. That’s why Thursday night was such a jarring result. Los Angeles didn’t get the version of Garrett it was counting on.
And now the concern is impossible to ignore. McVay has a history of staying guarded around injuries, and Garrett’s knee seems to fit that pattern. He was similarly vague in the past about Todd Gurley’s knee injury in 2018, and he has handled Stafford’s elbow and back issues the same way.
For Garrett, the frustration is obvious because this wasn’t a game injury. The Rams barely got him onto the practice field before they started managing him, and both sides know what he looks like when he’s right.
“I didn’t feel like I was the player I wanted to be and the player I’ve been before when I step onto that field,” said Garrett after the game.
That leaves Los Angeles with a real decision to manage moving forward. There’s no more waiting for the regular season to arrive.
It’s here, and Garrett’s knee is part of the Rams’ weekly reality. If they want to reach their goals this season, they need him at his best - and they need to figure out how to get there.
In Other News...
Rams Suddenly Face A Tight End Problem After Scary Opener Injury
The Rams season opener against the 49ers took an early turn on a familiar kind of problem for Sean McVays offense: losing a tight end in the middle of the game. Davis Allen took a hard hit in the third quarter, was evaluated for a concussion and eventually carted off the field, leaving Los Angeles to sort through the rest of the day without one of its more useful options at the position.
Allens status was listed as questionable to return, and even if the setback proves temporary, it puts a little more weight on the depth chart heading into the next stretch. The Rams will need more from the other tight ends if Allen cant get back on the field soon, especially in an offense that likes to lean on that group for both protection and passing-game versatility. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Face A Brutal Pregame Swing Against San Francisco
The Rams pregame picture for Melbourne just got tougher on one side and a little more complicated on the other. San Francisco tight end George Kittle has been cleared and taken off the injury list, while Los Angeles will be without Aaron Donald, a notable absence for a defense that usually leans on him to change the games rhythm.
Kyle Shanahan has already said Kittle and Nick Bosa will have limited playing time as the 49ers ease them back from major injuries, which adds another layer to a matchup that was never going to be simple. For the Rams, the challenge is obvious enough: face a division rival on a long trip, with one of the leagues most disruptive defenders unavailable and San Francisco getting a key weapon back in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Donald's Comeback Starts With A Rams Reality Fans Won't Love
Aaron Donald wont be part of the Rams Week 1 group in Australia, a reminder that his return to the field is still in the early stages even after the comeback announcement gave Los Angeles a jolt of optimism. The veteran defensive star did not travel with the team for its game against the 49ers, and the Rams are taking a patient approach as he works back into football shape after coming out of retirement.
For a defense that has long leaned on Donald as its centerpiece, the wait is the reality fans were hoping to avoid, even if it was always part of the plan. Donald last played in the NFL in 2023, and the earliest expectation for his return is Week 2, leaving the Rams to navigate the opener without one of the most important players in franchise history. [Read more 🡒]