The Rams acquired Myles Garrett to wreck opposing offenses. Now they’ll have to figure out how to get by without him.
Garrett is headed for knee surgery and injured reserve, a troubling development after an offseason in which his availability was already a concern.
He missed significant time in training camp while dealing with knee swelling, then recorded zero tackles and zero sacks in the Rams’ season-opening loss to the 49ers in Melbourne.
What initially looked like an alarming performance now carries a deeper physical explanation.
The Rams invested heavily in Garrett to transform their defense. Instead, one game into the season, they face questions about when he’ll return and how effective he’ll be.
For a team with Super Bowl expectations, that is a major uncertainty surrounding one of its biggest investments.
Things could not be going worse for the Rams.
They will now be without their star pass rusher for at least the next four games. And those games are far from ideal to be without one of your best players.
The Rams host the Giants on “Monday Night Football” next week, visit the Broncos for “Sunday Night Football” in Week 3, visit the Eagles in Week 4 and host the Bills on “Monday Night Football” in Week 5.
If Garrett only needs the minimum time on injured reserve, he could play in Week 6 at home against the Cardinals.
Los Angeles lost 27-7 to the 49ers on Thursday, with Garrett having very little impact as he was hampered.
After the season-opening loss, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year acknowledged he was not truly engaged.
He was focused more on his injured knee than his opponent. Now, his knee takes center stage, as the Rams’ season gets off to an awful start.
