Myles Garrett, the superstar defensive end the Los Angeles Rams traded a massive haul for, is now trending toward a six-week absence, not the four weeks everyone initially heard. That’s a full third of his first season in LA he’s set to miss, and it feels like a gut punch, especially when you look back at how this whole thing went down. The team had a chance to get ahead of this during training camp, but now? Now they’re just taking their lumps with a key player sidelined, and frankly, it looks like they helped make the wrong call.
The “Precautionary” Call That Blew Up In Their Face
Remember back on July 29th when the first reports of Garrett’s knee soreness popped up? The team waved it off as “precautionary,” something they could manage with rest and a limited schedule. But what’s screamingly obvious now is that the Rams faced a fork in the road then. They could’ve scoped that knee immediately, in early August. If they had, based on this new six-week timeline, Garrett would already be back on the field. Instead, they opted to hold off, probably hoping it would just magically get better. Listen, players know their bodies better than anyone, especially someone like Garrett with a limited injury history. Why wouldn’t you let his body heal itself if that was the best option? Well, now we know it wasn’t, and the Rams are absolutely not getting what they paid for right now.
Missing The Monster: Broncos, Eagles, Bills On Deck
Garrett’s absence might not have mattered for the 49ers season opener, and the Rams even pulled off a Week 2 win against the Giants without him. But don’t let those early games fool you. His absence is about to loom HUGE over their next three matchups: the Broncos, the Eagles, and the Bills. Seriously, those are some brutal tests. And it gets worse: his status is still up in the air for the two games after that against the Cardinals and Raiders. If the Rams don’t fare well over these next five games without their star pass rusher, their Super Bowl hopes, which were already a bit shaky, could be completely dashed before he even steps back on the field. That’s a lot riding on a decision that, looking back, feels incredibly short-sighted.
Nacua’s Explosiveness: A Different But Lingering Headache
As if Garrett wasn’t enough, the Rams are staring down another concerning injury with Puka Nacua, who’s battling a loss of top-end explosiveness. He might return next week, but surgery is a real possibility if he can’t get back to feeling like himself. While Nacua’s injury isn’t something the team could have prevented like Garrett’s, the bigger question hanging over this situation is how the Rams are managing it. Are they thinking long-term re-sign for Nacua, or are they just trying to squeeze every last drop out of his rookie contract? How they handle his recovery could tell us everything about their plans for his expiring deal. These two injuries, and the Rams’ response to them, are defining their season right now, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Turf Show Times.
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