Myles Garrett Injured Reserve
Rams Star Pass Rusher Myles Garrett Undergoes Knee Surgery and Enters Injured Reserve
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Key Points
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Garrett acknowledged after the opener that he was not fully healthy and took responsibility for his performance, saying, “I wasn't who I needed to be for my team.”
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Garrett played 39 snaps against San Francisco and recorded the fourth zero-tackle game of his career, underscoring how severely the knee injury limited him.
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The Rams’ trade package for Garrett included specific future selections: a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick, in addition to Jared Verse.
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Garrett enters the injury absence with two NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards and 125.5 career sacks accumulated during his first nine seasons with Cleveland.
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Garrett described the season-opening performance as “the worst version of myself that I've put out there” and said he needed to recover to return to the player he had been previously.
Los Angeles Rams star pass rusher Myles Garrett will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and be placed on injured reserve, sidelining him for at least four games. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year struggled in his Rams debut against San Francisco, recording zero tackles and zero pressures in a 27-7 loss. NFL.com reported the surgery will keep Garrett out through Week 5, with the Arizona Cardinals matchup in Week 6 his earliest possible return.
The injury is a major blow to Los Angeles after acquiring Garrett in June from Cleveland by sending Jared Verse and three future draft picks — a 2027 first-rounder, 2028 second-rounder, and 2029 third-rounder — to the Browns. Garrett acknowledged after the season opener that he was not fully healthy, saying FanSided he gave "the worst version of myself that I've put out there."
A Disappointing Debut Exposed the Knee Problem
Garrett played 39 snaps against the 49ers but produced nothing stat-wise. No tackles. No sacks. No quarterback pressures. Los Angeles Times noted this marked only the fourth zero-tackle game of his nine-year NFL career. After the game, Garrett took full responsibility, refusing to make excuses despite being visibly hampered by the left knee issue that had limited him throughout training camp.
The Rams' front seven looked vulnerable. Sports Illustrated highlighted that without a healthy Garrett, Los Angeles lost the edge-rushing dominance they paid premium capital to secure. The defensive line that was supposed to anchor the team's Super Bowl window showed "more fragility than fearlessness" in opening week.
Missing Four Straight Playoff-Contender Matchups
Garrett's four-game absence hits at the worst possible time. FOX Sports confirmed Los Angeles must face the Giants, Broncos, Eagles, and Bills without their most disruptive defensive weapon. Three of those four teams are legitimate playoff contenders with strong offensive weapons. The timing concentrates risk during a stretch where elite pass rush is critical.
Byron Young and Aaron Donald must shoulder the defensive line load. Young is still developing as a high-end edge rusher. Donald, though elite, is operating at 40 years old and has been away from the game. Cleveland.com noted the injury also impacts Cleveland's interest in that 2027 first-round pick the Rams sent over — its value now depends on LA's ability to win without Garrett.
Cleveland's Trade May Have Been Better Than It Looked
The Browns sent Garrett to Los Angeles expecting at least one healthy, dominant season. Instead, Garrett played hurt in Week 1 and now faces a month on the sideline. Locked On Browns analysts suggested Cleveland may have outmaneuvered the Rams by getting a younger, proven cornerstone in Jared Verse while shedding an aging star's aging body and contract. Verse fits Cleveland's system cleanly.
Garrett carries 125.5 career sacks and two Defensive Player of the Year awards — both earned in Cleveland. FanSided pointed out the trade was always high-risk for LA: acquire a declining veteran at peak cost, hope for one playoff run, and move on. The early surgery suggests that gamble is already stalling before it truly began.
The Cost of Playing Injured Was Immediate and Costly
Garrett's Week 1 performance illustrates a tough management dilemma. The Rams wanted their $160-million investment healthy and ready. Instead, they sent him on the field compromised, got zero production, and still had to undergo surgery. Playing through pain produced nothing except delayed recovery and wasted snaps. Los Angeles Times noted the decision to field him at half-strength backfired spectacularly.
Now Los Angeles faces a domino effect: minimal defensive impact in Week 1, four critical games without Garrett, and no guarantee he returns at 100 percent in Week 6. The Rams mortgaged future flexibility and this season's early momentum for a player who is spending his first month in the building recovering from surgery. Sports Illustrated called it "a painful lesson in managing star acquisitions during injury complications."
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