It’s safe to say that Myles Garrett didn’t have the best debut for the Los Angeles Rams. After the Rams traded a haul to the Browns for Garrett, including giving up a very promising young pass rusher in his own right, Jared Verse, Garrett missed much of the summer and made a minimal impact in the opener against the 49ers before undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery and being placed on injured reserve.
Not exactly a great first impression in Los Angeles for the two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Garrett didn’t record a single box-score stat against the 49ers in Week 1, although he did generate several pressures. For a player coming off a season in which he broke the single-season sack record, that’s notable. Anyone watching could tell he wasn’t operating at 100 percent, and the Rams are playing it cautious to make sure he comes back full-strength without any setbacks.
Now, after a few weeks of uncertainty, the Rams have an update on Garrett’s timeline.
Los Angeles Rams Get Definitive Update on Myles Garrett’s Injury Timeline
According to ESPN NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Garrett is expected to miss about six weeks on injured reserve as he recovers from the knee surgery. That would put his return as Los Angeles’ November 8 date with the Commanders in Week 9.
Garrett wants to beat this timeline, and in theory he could return as soon as their Week 7 game against the Raiders. But the Rams are taking their time with Garrett’s recovery, which makes sense. They gave up a 2027 first-round pick, two other picks, and the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year in Verse to the Browns for the best defensive player in football. The last thing Los Angeles wants is to jeopardize Garrett’s long-term health to get him back on the field a week or two early.
In the meantime, the Rams got someone else back from a long absence….
The Rams Got Reinforcements to Stem the Tide While Myles Garrett Recovers
Garrett might not have played in Los Angeles’ Week 2 win over the Giants, but another defensive titan did. Three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, a lifelong Rams defensive tackle who retired following the 2023 season, made his 2026 debut after rejoining the Rams this summer.
Donald wanted to play with Garrett, a potential all-time pairing on that defensive front. But with Garrett out and Verse now in Cleveland, Donald becomes the focus for opposing offenses. The Rams have bountiful talent on their defensive line, one of the deepest in the league. But everyone knows what Donald can do.
Even in his first game in two years against the Giants, Donald was disruptive, consistently commanding double-teams and even occasional triple-teams. When Garrett returns, that duo will strike fear into every quarterback they face.
Rams Finally Get Definitive Update on Myles Garrett’s Injury Return Timeline