The Los Angeles Rams opened their 2026 campaign with a devastating 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Australia. As if that wasn’t already bad enough, it was revealed on Sunday morning that superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett would be undergoing arthroscopic surgery to clean up a lingering knee injury, with the team set to place him on injured reserve.
As a result, Garrett will miss at least four games, dealing the Rams’ defensive line a big blow. However, there is still quite a bit of talent at this group’s disposal, and according to a new report, it sounds like L.A. could be getting back fan-favorite defensive tackle Aaron Donald after he did not suit up in its season opener.
Rams Eyeing Week 2 Return for Aaron Donald
Los Angeles’ explosive offseason saw it pair up Garrett with Donald, as it managed to pick up the former in a trade with the Cleveland Browns and convince the latter to come out of retirement. However, with Garrett out, it will now be at least another month until we see these two share the field with each other.
Garrett had been dealing with a knee injury throughout the summer, and while he wasn’t on the injury report ahead of the team’s Week 1 action, it became clear during the game that he was not 100% healthy. With the season still being very young, the Rams opted to take care of this situation now by having him go under the knife.
The hope is that Garrett will only miss four games, but there’s a chance his absence runs longer than expected. Nobody can replace Garrett on their own, but if there’s someone who can come close, it’s probably Donald, even though he hasn’t played football in over two years now. Still, with Garrett out, L.A. could use a boost, and it sounds like it could get one in Week 2 with the return of Donald.
When the Rams play next Monday night vs. the Giants, they will be without Myles Garrett but they very well could have back Aaron Donald,” Adam Schefter shared in a post on X shortly after the news of Garrett’s injury came to light.
Rams Hoping Aaron Donald Can Help Make Up for the Loss of Myles Garrett
Similar to Garrett, the Rams have opted to play it safe with Donald early in the season. Considering how long of a layoff he has had from football, having him fly across the world to Australia wasn’t prudent, so the team opted to have him stay behind and continue getting ready for his return to action. With Garrett out, though, it may be time to take the training wheels off for Donald.
Nobody knows what Donald will look like after spending so much time away from football, but if he can simply take attention away from guys like Byron Young and Kobie Turner, it will instantly make the Rams more dangerous. L.A. will be back in action in Week 2 for a Monday Night Football clash, and all eyes will be on Donald to see if he can find his way onto the field.
Rams Receive Aaron Donald Update After Devastating Myles Garrett Injury News