L.A. Rams star Myles Garrett is now staring down roughly six weeks on the sidelines after arthroscopic knee surgery, a full two weeks longer than the team initially hoped for. This is not the start anyone in SoCal wanted for their blockbuster defensive end, and it raises some serious questions about their massive offseason gamble.
The Clock Just Got Longer For Garrett, And It’s A Real Kick In The Teeth
The Rams were initially all hyped, right? They thought their blockbuster D-end, Myles Garrett, would be back by Week 6, ready to terrorize the Arizona Cardinals. You could almost feel the optimism! But NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport just dropped a bombshell: “Garrett, the subject of one of the NFL’s biggest blockbuster trades in recent memory, was given a timeline of roughly six weeks for his recovery from knee surgery, sources told NFL Network.” That’s an extra *two weeks* added to the initial prognosis! This pushes his return way back, meaning he’s now definitely set to miss crucial games against the Raiders and Chargers, after getting surgery right after their Week 1 clash with the 49ers. Then, you look ahead to Week 9, and the Rams play the Washington Commanders. So, he’s potentially going to be out closer to two months than one. Garrett is apparently “determined to beat the timeline,” but you know the Rams, who traded massive capital for him, are gonna play it super safe. They *have* to.
A Straight-Up Gut Punch To The Rams’ Defensive Masterplan
This whole situation feels like a straight-up gut punch to Les Snead’s grand offseason plan to completely revamp that Rams defense. Remember how he was gonna reinforce it with star upgrades like Garrett and Trent McDuffie? They shelled out serious draft capital, trading two-time Pro Bowler Jared Verse and *three* draft picks, including a 2027 first-round pick, to the Cleveland Browns just to get Garrett! It was a monster investment for a guy who was coming off a Defensive Player of the Year season, bagging a ridiculous 23 sacks. The entire hope was that this arthroscopic surgery would be a quick fix, just cleaning out his knee to relieve discomfort and eliminate swelling. Instead, what have we actually seen on the field? His very first game with the Rams, after all that build-up and hype against the 49ers, yielded exactly zero tackles. Zero! That’s not the DPOY impact you’re paying for. Yeah, the early returns on the pick for McDuffie look good, and it’s awesome Aaron Donald came back, but the undisputed centerpiece, the absolute pivot for this defensive rebuild, was supposed to be Myles Garrett. This just wasn’t the plan.
Will The Rams End Up With Buyer’s Remorse?
So, what now for the L.A. Rams? With Garrett potentially sidelined for a significant chunk of the early season, and his actual first game being a statistical ghost, you gotta seriously wonder. Les Snead made a monumental gamble, betting the farm on Myles Garrett to be the cornerstone and leader of that defense. Will the Rams come to regret the Garrett trade? For their sake, and frankly, for the sake of not looking like they completely whiffed on what was billed as a monster deal, let’s desperately hope not. It’s a long season, but this is an incredibly tough start for a player who was supposed to be a certified game-wrecker from Day 1.
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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