Myles Garrett’s Rams debut did not look anything like Los Angeles envisioned when it acquired him.
The reigning Defensive Player of the Year was held without a tackle in Thursday night’s 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, and afterward Garrett pointed to the same left-knee issue that limited him throughout training camp.
Garrett called the performance the “worst version” of himself and made it clear that getting the knee healthy is now the priority. The Rams had managed swelling in the knee during August and limited his practice workload before declaring him ready for Week 1.
How Quiet Was Garrett’s Debut?
Extremely.
Garrett finished the game without a tackle, sack or quarterback hit as San Francisco controlled the line of scrimmage and rushed for 174 yards. It was his first game without a tackle since 2024.
San Francisco also did an excellent job neutralizing him structurally. Trent Williams and the 49ers’ protection kept Garrett from consistently getting clean one-on-one rushes, and Brock Purdy was rarely forced into the kind of hurried mistakes Los Angeles expected Garrett to create.
That makes this more than a simple injury story.
Garrett was limited physically, but San Francisco also had a plan for him—and executed it.
The Knee Has Been an Issue for Weeks
Garrett’s knee concern did not suddenly appear in Australia.
Sean McVay acknowledged in August that Garrett was dealing with swelling in the knee and said the Rams were being cautious with his workload. Garrett himself estimated at one point that he felt around 85 percent.
By the final Week 1 injury report, Garrett had returned to full participation and carried no game designation. Los Angeles believed he was ready to play.
The problem is that being cleared to play is not the same thing as being fully healthy.
Thursday made that obvious.
Should the Rams Reduce His Workload?
That now becomes the real question.
Los Angeles traded significant assets for Garrett and is not building toward September. This is a team trying to be at its best in December and January.
If the knee is still swelling or limiting Garrett’s explosiveness, forcing him through heavy snap counts in Week 2 would make little sense.
The Rams also have more help coming.
Aaron Donald, who stayed in Los Angeles for the opener, is expected to return sooner rather than later. His presence would reduce the burden on Garrett and give the defense another elite player offenses must account for.
That could allow Los Angeles to be more selective with Garrett’s workload while still generating pressure.
One bad game should not create panic.
Garrett is still one of the most disruptive defensive players in football, and a quiet debut does not erase what he has done throughout his career.
But the knee matters.
Los Angeles did not acquire Garrett to merely occupy blockers. It acquired him to wreck games.
If he cannot bend, explode or finish rushes at his normal level, the Rams need to manage this intelligently rather than pretend the problem does not exist.
The good news is that Los Angeles has 11 days before facing the Giants on Sept. 21, giving Garrett additional recovery time.
The Rams entered the season imagining a defensive front built around Garrett and Donald.
They may still get that.
But after Week 1, the immediate priority is simpler:
Get Myles Garrett healthy enough to look like Myles Garrett again.
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