Rams' Big Offseason Bet Craters: Myles Garrett Out Weeks After Knee Surgery
The reigning Defensive Player of the Year, acquired in one of the NFL's biggest trades in decades, will miss at least a month after landing on injured reserve.
Myles Garrett's first season with the Los Angeles Rams is off to a rocky start. The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year underwent arthroscopic knee surgery this week and has been placed on injured reserve, a move that will keep him sidelined for at least four games, the team confirmed.
Garrett struggled in the Rams' Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, playing through lower-leg pain that head coach Sean McVay later said contributed to the decision to operate rather than manage the injury through the season, according to ESPN.
From Blockbuster to Setback
The injury is an early gut punch for a trade that reshaped the NFL's offseason. On June 1, the Cleveland Browns sent Garrett to the Rams in exchange for edge rusher Jared Verse and three premium draft picks — the Rams' 2027 first-rounder, 2028 second-rounder and 2029 third-rounder. It marked the first time since 1997 that a reigning Defensive Player of the Year changed teams the following offseason, and it was billed as the move that would put the Rams over the top alongside an already-loaded defensive line featuring Aaron Donald, who un-retired for the 2026 season in part because of the Garrett trade.
"NOT GOING TO RUSH HIM BACK."
Per NFL.com, Garrett will miss Monday Night Football against the Giants, a road trip to Denver, a game at Philadelphia and another Monday Night Football matchup against Buffalo. He's eligible to return in Week 6, when the Rams host the Arizona Cardinals — but McVay has declined to commit to a firm return date, saying the team is "not going to rush him back."
Garrett, who holds the NFL's single-season sacks record, remains widely regarded as the league's top defensive talent when healthy. But his absence leaves the Rams — who are again chasing a Super Bowl run, with the game set for SoFi Stadium in February — leaning on a defensive front that will need to find its footing without its newest and most expensive addition for at least a month.
What's next: Garrett is expected to begin practicing again as his recovery progresses, with the Rams targeting his potential Week 6 return against Arizona as the earliest realistic comeback date.