The Los Angeles Rams spent the offseason building a defensive front that looked almost unfair on paper.
Then they had to wait.
Myles Garrett has played only one game this season after aggravating a knee injury in Week 1 and undergoing surgery in September. That wait is finally over.
The Rams activated Garrett from injured reserve Saturday, and barring a setback, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year is expected to play Sunday against the Washington Commanders.
For the first time this season, Los Angeles finally gets a real look at what Garrett and Aaron Donald can be together.
Myles Garrett Is Back
Los Angeles activated Garrett ahead of Week 9 after he returned to practice this week and progressed without a setback.
Garrett carries no injury designation into Sunday’s game.
Sean McVay has been cautious about setting expectations for his workload, and that makes sense. Garrett has not played since the season-opening loss to San Francisco and could be eased back into action rather than immediately handling a full complement of snaps.
But even a limited Garrett changes the way Washington has to prepare.
The Rams Built This Front for Exactly This
The idea behind the Rams’ offseason was simple:
If Aaron Donald was coming back, why not surround him with another game-wrecking pass rusher?
Garrett arrived in Los Angeles after a blockbuster trade with Cleveland, coming off a 2025 season in which he set a league record with 23 sacks. Reuters noted Saturday that Garrett has recorded at least 12 sacks in six consecutive seasons and ranks third among active players with 125.5 career sacks.
Those are not complementary-player numbers.
Those are numbers that change protection schemes.
And that is why the combination with Donald is so intriguing.
Offenses Cannot Double-Team Everybody
That is the nightmare Los Angeles wants to create.
Donald has spent his entire career demanding extra attention from guards, centers and protection calls.
Garrett has done the same thing from the edge.
When both are on the field, the offense has a problem before the ball is snapped.
Slide protection toward Garrett and Donald gets more one-on-one looks inside.
Collapse toward Donald and Garrett gets space to attack tackles outside.
Keep a running back or tight end in protection and the offense sacrifices another receiving option.
There is no clean answer.
Garrett Does Not Need 70 Snaps to Matter
The important thing for Sunday is not whether Garrett immediately plays every defensive snap.
He does not need to.
If the Rams use him selectively on obvious passing downs, third downs and high-leverage situations, his presence can still reshape the game.
That may actually be the smartest way to handle his return.
Los Angeles has enough talent up front to avoid forcing Garrett into a workload his knee is not ready for. The Rams need him healthy for November and December more than they need him playing every first-and-10 against Washington.
Washington Presents an Interesting First Test
The Commanders enter Sunday at 2-4-1, but their offense still has enough athleticism to punish undisciplined pass rushes.
Jayden Daniels enters Week 9 with 976 passing yards and 236 rushing yards, and his ability to escape pressure changes how defenders have to pursue.
That is where Garrett’s return can matter beyond sacks.
Forcing Daniels to climb into Donald is valuable.
Making him escape toward another rusher is valuable.
Disrupting the timing of the play before the quarterback ever leaves the pocket is valuable.
The Rams do not need Garrett to record three sacks to make an impact.
The Rams Need Their Defense to Carry More Weight
Los Angeles is 4-4 and sitting in third place in the NFC West.
The Rams have won two straight, but they have also spent the first half of the season dealing with injuries across the roster.
Puka Nacua has missed time. Davante Adams is on injured reserve. Kobie Turner and Poona Ford have also dealt with significant absences.
The defense was supposed to be one of the units capable of stabilizing everything else.
Garrett’s return gives it a chance to finally look like the version the Rams envisioned in August.
Donald and Garrett Can Change the Margin for Error
This is where elite pass rushers matter most.
They can erase mistakes elsewhere.
A busted coverage does not become a 40-yard completion if the quarterback never gets to the throw.
A weak first-down possession does not become seven points if third-and-6 turns into a sack.
A defense does not have to be perfect if two players up front can ruin a drive by themselves.
That is the value Los Angeles has been waiting for.
This Could Be the Start of a Different Rams Defense
Garrett returning does not automatically turn the Rams into the league’s best defense.
It does change what is possible.
The Rams traded premium assets for Garrett because they believed pairing him with Donald could alter the ceiling of the entire team.
Seven missed games later, they finally get to test that theory.
Maybe Garrett starts on a pitch count.
Maybe he needs a week or two before he looks fully comfortable again.
But even a limited version of Myles Garrett lining up alongside Aaron Donald creates a problem no offense wants to solve.
For a 4-4 Rams team trying to turn a promising two-game winning streak into a real playoff push, his return could not come at a better time.
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