The Los Angeles Rams are the favorite to win Super Bowl LXI, and that was before they swung a massive blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Browns for superstar defensive end Myles Garrett. Now that he is in town, Los Angeles is clearly the team that everyone is chasing, even though it didn’t win a title last season.
Garrett is just the latest big-name addition for the Rams on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, but many folks agree that this is the move that could put the team over the top. In the blink of an eye, defensive coordinator Chris Shula has found himself in a pressure-packed situation when it comes to getting the most out of this group, but it sounds like he already has a plan for how he will utilize Garrett.
Chris Shula Reveals Rams’ Plan for Myles Garrett
L.A. already made some major investments on defense this offseason, as it pulled off another big trade with the Kansas City Chiefs for cornerback Trent McDuffie, only to follow that up by signing his partner-in-crime, Jaylen Watson, in free agency. And while the trade for Garrett cost the Rams Jared Verse, if he can play at his typical level, he will be well worth the high cost.
The level at which Garrett is playing, of course, is historic. Even though he played on a woeful Browns team in 2025, Garrett racked up 23 sacks, which is the most in a single season in the history of the NFL. As a result of his strong play, Garrett earned his seventh Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection apiece, while also winning the Defensive Player of the Year Award for the second time in his career.
Garrett will join a pass rush group that also features Byron Young and Kobie Turner, but he will be the guy that opposing offenses are most worried about. How he will fit into this group remains to be seen, but for Shula, the game plan is pretty simple: he’s going to let Garrett do what he does best, and that’s wreak havoc on opposing teams.
“Obviously, we’re still gonna have our principles … but we’re gonna let him do what he does best, and we all know exactly what he does best,” Shula said when speaking to reporters. “You’re not gonna take Michael Jordan, LeBron, all those guys, and pull them out of their comfort zone. We’re gonna work with him and put him in the best spots that we think for him and the defense to succeed.”
Rams’ Myles Garrett Move Sets Super Bowl or Bust Expectation for 2026
GettyFormer Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett reworked his deal with the Rams following the blockbuster trade.
Anytime a team makes the sort of move that the Rams made for Garrett, it cannot be taken lightly. This team was already a Super Bowl favorite, but when you add a player of his caliber, expectations get raised almost immediately. Anything less than a title would be a disappointment for Los Angeles in 2026, and rightfully so.
It’s obviously going to take some time for Shula to figure out how to put all the pieces of L.A.’s new-look defense together, but when you have as much talent as this group has, things tend to work out. The Rams are a scary-looking group, and if Garrett can pick up where he left off in 2025, there’s good reason to believe that this team can live up to its sky-high expectations.
Rams DC Chris Shula Sends Honest Message on Myles Garrett