Los Angeles Rams star Myles Garrett is set to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and will miss at least four games after being placed on injured reserve.
The premier pass rusher joined the Rams from the Cleveland Browns during the offseason, months after setting the NFL’s single-season sack record.
His highly anticipated Rams debut, however, quickly turned sour. Garrett failed to register a tackle in the team’s 27-7 Week 1 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia.
Following the loss, Garrett admitted he was not fully healthy. The Rams have now opted for a cautious approach, prioritizing his long-term fitness over an early-season return.
“This was the worst version of myself that I’ve put out there, and I’ve got to be better,” Garrett said.
“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.”
Myles Garrett will undergo knee surgery after playing just one game for the Los Angeles Rams
Garrett had a quiet Rams debut against the 49ers in Melbourne, Australia
“I wasn’t the player that I wanted to be, and I feel like I wasn’t the player I’ve been before when I’ve stepped onto that field,” Garrett added. “I’ve got to do what I can to get back to that.”
Garrett’s placement on injured reserve guarantees he will miss a minimum of four games. The Rams are scheduled to host the New York Giants on Monday Night Football before facing the Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles on the road during a challenging opening stretch.
Los Angeles could receive a major boost elsewhere on the defensive line, with Aaron Donald reportedly returning from retirement three years after his last NFL appearance. Donald did not travel to Australia as he continues to rebuild his conditioning.
Garrett’s knee problem first emerged during training camp. Rams coach Sean McVay downplayed the injury in early August after the defensive star missed three consecutive practices. Garrett had previously missed only two games across his final five seasons in Cleveland.
‘He has a little soreness in his lower half, but nothing to worry about,’ McVay said at the time.
‘So we’re erring on the side of being smart with him. (Senior Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance) Reggie (Scott) and those guys do such a great job, and he is as tough as it gets. And so we want to make sure that he feels as good as possible.
‘And so I think, as you know, guys that have played a lot of football, we’ve got a lot of opportunities to be able to get better, but we also want to make sure that we’re getting an understanding of how to work best with him, and he’s been outstanding. But there was a little bit of soreness, and we said, ‘Let’s err on the side of caution,’ and then we’ll see.
‘We’ll see what it looks like after the day off. ‘I don’t want to put the cart before the horse, but I would expect him to be ready to go in the next block.’
Garrett will miss at least the next four games after being placed on the injured reserve list
Aaron Donald is expected to return soon for the Rams after he did not travel to Australia
McVay added there was ‘no reason for concern’ but simply wanted to keep him in the best condition he could for the opener in Australia.
‘He’s had checkups, all that kind of stuff, so there’s nothing to worry about,’ McVay said. ‘It’s more about how do we keep him as fresh as possible … so that when we do play in Australia, he’s ready to go and do his thing. But there’s no reason for concern, and I look forward to getting him back out there.’
Garrett had 23 sacks last year to win his second Defensive Player of the Year award. However, he has now been traded to a team with Super Bowl ambitions entering his 10th season in the league.
‘Super Bowl,’ Garrett said of his goals this year. ‘Win DPOY again, obviously. I think those are the two main things on my mind, and going out and just being the best player I can be.
‘I think there is a whole bunch of opportunities out there for, for us as the D-line to be something truly special, and I just want us to be able to realize that and, and never go into the locker room after a game feeling like we could’ve achieved more or done more.’
