The Los Angeles Rams have been dealt a massive early-season blow.
Star edge rusher Myles Garrett will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his injured knee and is headed to injured reserve, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero. The hope is Garrett can return in roughly four weeks.
That means Garrett is now expected to miss games against the New York Giants, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills. Los Angeles hosts Arizona in Week 6, which appears to be the earliest realistic target for his return.
The news helps explain what looked downright strange Thursday night.
Garrett was on the field for Los Angeles’ 27-7 loss to San Francisco, but he looked nothing like the game-wrecking defender the Rams traded a fortune to acquire. He finished without a tackle, sack or quarterback hit while clearly appearing limited.
The knee apparently had considerably more going on than anyone realized.
Garrett Had Been Fighting the Injury for Weeks
This did not come completely out of nowhere.
Garrett dealt with knee swelling during training camp, and Sean McVay acknowledged in August that the Rams were carefully managing him. At one point Garrett estimated he was functioning at roughly 85 percent, though McVay repeatedly downplayed concern and focused on having him ready for the opener.
That appeared to work, at least on paper. Garrett progressed from missing practice to full participation and entered Week 1 without an injury designation. The Rams’ final Week 1 injury report listed him as ready to go, while McVay publicly said Garrett would be available against San Francisco.
Available, yes.
Healthy? Apparently not.
Garrett later acknowledged that the lower-leg and knee problem had continued bothering him, providing context for a debut in which he simply did not look like himself.
The Rams Paid an Enormous Price for Garrett
That makes the timing particularly painful for Los Angeles.
The Rams acquired Garrett from Cleveland in June for Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick. Los Angeles made the move because it believed adding the reigning sack-record holder could push an already talented roster over the top.
Detroit Lions fans remember that deal well. We examined why the Lions were never realistically in the Garrett market when Los Angeles completed the blockbuster, and also looked at how Garrett’s move to the NFC made Detroit’s potential road to the Super Bowl tougher.
That calculation now changes, at least temporarily.
Garrett is one of the few defensive players capable of changing an opponent’s entire protection plan by himself. Los Angeles expected that type of impact immediately.
Instead, the Rams got one compromised game and an injured-reserve stint.
Los Angeles Now Has to Survive Without Its Superstar
There is some good news.
The initial expectation is approximately four weeks, not four months. Arthroscopic surgery can address the issue without automatically turning this into a season-threatening injury, and the Rams clearly hope Garrett can return around Week 6.
Still, “hope” matters here.
Garrett had been managing the knee for weeks before playing Thursday. The Rams thought the situation was under control. Two days later, he is headed for surgery.
Los Angeles also built its defensive front to withstand adversity better than most teams. Aaron Donald is back, while Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske and Byron Young give the Rams legitimate talent around him. The Rams’ initial 53-man roster showed just how much they invested in building that group.
But there is no replacing Myles Garrett.
Not really.
The Rams made one of the NFL’s biggest offseason swings because they believed Garrett could be the final piece of a championship defense.
One week into the season, that plan is already on hold.
