The Los Angeles Rams suffered a 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in their season opener, but perhaps more concerningly, they have lost superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett for the foreseeable future to a knee injury. After being bothered by this ailment throughout the summer, Garrett will be going under the knife in an effort to get himself fully healthy for the remainder of the year.
Garrett clearly did not look like himself in his debut for Los Angeles, which raised the question of why the team waited so long to address his injury issues. According to one insider, the Rams simply believed this was something Garrett could play through, and when it quickly became clear it wasn’t, they decided to take care of the issue once and for all.
Why Rams Waited So Long to Have Myles Garrett Undergo Surgery
As part of their busy offseason, the Rams gave up a massive haul that included a first-round pick, a second-round pick, a third-round pick, and star pass rusher Jared Verse in exchange for Garrett. After he broke the single-season sack record in 2025 while with the Cleveland Browns, the addition of Garrett would seemingly make Los Angeles unstoppable.
Against the Niners, though, Garrett looked like a shell of himself. He failed to record a single stat of note, as Trent Williams dominated him for much of the game. Throughout the game, Garrett was spending considerably more time on the sidelines than expected, which was the first indication that something wasn’t right.
Part of what makes the situation involving Garrett’s injury status so strange is that L.A. knew about his knee ailment throughout the summer, so why did it wait until now to have him undergo surgery? According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Rams simply thought this was something he could play through. Since it very clearly isn’t, though, the next best thing they can do is have him undergo surgery as soon as possible so that he can get back on the field this year.
The Los Angeles Rams knew that Myles Garrett had a knee injury, knew that he was working through it, knew that he wasn’t in the kind of shape that he needs to be to go out and be the best player in football, which he essentially was last year,” Rapoport said on “The Aftermath.” “They just sort of felt he could go out, manage it, handle it, and still play at a very, very high level. Saw him on the field in Australia. That was not the case.”
Rams Hoping Myles Garrett Can Make a Speedy Return
Los Angeles placed Garrett on injured reserve Sunday morning, meaning he will miss at least its next four games. The hope is that Garrett won’t need to stay on injured reserve for any longer than the four-game minimum, but ultimately, the team isn’t going to rush him back into action until he’s fully ready to play.
The earliest Garrett could return is in Week 6 against the Arizona Cardinals, but truth be told, the Rams have bigger fish to fry before then. After losing to the Niners, Los Angeles needs a bounce-back performance immediately in Week 2. However, it may have a more difficult matchup on its hands than initially expected, as a Monday Night Football meeting with the New York Giants awaits them.
Insider Sheds Light on Rams Sudden Myles Garrett Injury Decision