Myles Garrett clearly brings a strong presence into the Los Angeles Rams locker room already. This despite participating in his first training camp with the franchise following the blockbuster June 1 trade from the Cleveland Browns. Still though, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year and All-Pro edge rusher’s energy has rubbed off on teammates.
Garrett continues to operate amid the rumblings of Aaron Donald possibly returning. Which would pair him with a past NFL DPOY winner and league legend.
But one Rams starter who played with Donald already made it bluntly clear: He doesn’t want to “F” up playing with Garrett on the football field.
Rams Captain’s Blunt Take on Playing Alongside Myles Garrett
Longtime NFL insider and media personality Trey Wingo sat down with Rams safety Quentin Lake following a recent NFL Training Camp practice.
Lake has established himself as a strong locker room voice on the defensive backend. But even he dished a strong take on what his 2026 role now entails.
“My job really is just to not [expletive] up, honestly,” Lake said.
That includes if Donald does officially return and forms a side-by-side tandem with Garrett.
“All the attention is on them,” Lake continued. “Your back end is, honestly, as good as your rush. If you have guys up there that can get to the quarterback quickly, that can stop the run and rush the passer, it makes our job incredibly easy.”
Quentin Lake Details Impact of Having Both
Lake’s answer continues to fuel the notion Donald will rejoin the team once the Rams resume practices at their Woodland Hills facility.
“At the end of the day, you just have to do your job. That’s two defensive players of the year up front, which I think is unheard of,” Lake said. “Two guys who can honestly go down as maybe some of the best defensive players ever.”
Again, Lake’s job is simple if he’s in the presence of both. He also started manifesting what Garrett and Donald could do together pre-snap for opposing offensive lines on Sundays.
“It’s go do my job and do what they do. All the attention in terms of what they’re going to do to slide the protection, now you’ve got to pick between the two. Now if it were just Myles, obviously we’d know where they (offenses) are going to. But if you get AD and Myles it’s like…pick your poison,” Lake said.
Impact of Rams Having Quentin Lake on Backend
Lake, the son of former five-time Pro Bowl cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers Carnell, has risen as a valuable contributor and notable draft steal for coach Sean McVay, general manager Les Snead and the Rams.
The sixth-rounder proved his value in coverage last season, breaking up a career-high 10 passes in 2025. He also grabbed his first career interception while crashing down and delivering two tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
He’s entering his fifth season but signed a three-year extension in January that pays him $42 million with $25.7 million in guaranteed money. LA will lean into Lake’s leadership and ability to play close to the line even with Garrett up front. Or even Donald potentially along the line too.
Rams Starter Doesn’t Want to ‘F’ up Playing With Myles Garrett