LOS ANGELES — The Rams are expected to be without Myles Garrett for at least their next four games as the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year prepares to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery, according to reports Sunday from ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Garrett will be placed on injured reserve and would be eligible to return for the Rams’ Week 6 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. His absence leaves Los Angeles without its prized offseason acquisition just one game into his tenure with the team.
The news follows a difficult debut in the Rams’ season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia. Garrett finished without a tackle and afterward acknowledged that his knee was not fully healthy entering the game, describing the performance as “the worst version of myself that I’ve put out there.”
Garrett missed most of training camp because of what Rams coach Sean McVay described as swelling in his knee. He declined to identify the injured knee after the opener, though he wore a sleeve on his left leg during several practices.
Speaking Friday afternoon in Melbourne, Garrett said he had “got to be better” after struggling to make an impact against San Francisco.
“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,” Garrett said.
Garrett also acknowledged that concerns about his health affected his focus during the game. While on the field, he said, he was “a little bit more focused on myself and trying to stay healthy than what [the 49ers] were doing.”
“And that showed,” Garrett said. “I wasn’t who I needed to be for my team.”
The Rams made a significant investment in Garrett this offseason, acquiring him from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Jared Verse and three draft picks, including a 2027 first-round selection. Garrett was coming off a season in which he set the NFL single-season sack record with 23 for Cleveland.
His first appearance with Los Angeles offered a stark contrast to that production. According to ESPN Research, the loss to San Francisco marked Garrett’s first game without a tackle since Week 11 of the 2024 season and only the fourth such game of his career.
Now, the Rams must navigate at least the next four games without the pass rusher they brought in to anchor their defense, while Garrett turns his attention to recovering from the knee issue that limited his preparation and his debut.